Not Worth Fixing
by Kerberos314
Summary: The moon cracked like an egg, unleashing darkness into the world. But it wasn't the only thing to break, and all the King's horses and all the King's men can't put it back to the way it was. You want me to do it? Heh, fat chance. I'm done being the hero- villain too. I just want what's owed me. (Parings undecided, rated M for a reason).
1. Eye of the Tiger

**Halloo everybody! **

**I'm back. Not that I was every truly gone, but I have admittedly been shirking my duty to the Zeitgeist. Not to mention, neglecting my friends and comrade writers in this bizarre collective of ours. I can only hope you all forgive me for my trespasses.**

**-Trespasses which include this abomination I now present you. Admittedly, I haven't become any less tweaked in the head after Dust to Dust, but hopefully I'll be able to devote a little more of my time and bipolar energy towards this one. I've already written out five chapters of this red-headed stepchild, and will be posting one, probably every two days or so to give people a chance to read it and catch me on my mistakes. In this life, we cannot afford to be insular. **

**So, enough of that. Please, read, review, and above all, enjoy. **

**And try not to take anything I say too seriously. **

* * *

They won.

Not that there had been any doubt, of course. No sir-ee! There was no **way** they (she) could fail the entrance exam- fail before even starting, ha! Sure, there had been some rough parts which admittedly hadn't been entirely due to her awkward social interactions. But difficulty was to be expected of the premier huntsman academy, right? Right! Beacon Academy was the best in their magical/eldritch world of Remnant in turning teenagers with poor decision-making skills and a penchant for violence into productive members of society. And now she was among the best- amongst roughly a dozen others who had successfully completed the dangerous and strange task assigned to them by the headmaster (who was at least one of those things).

High off this feeling of accomplishment- quite literally high, perched as she was on the lip of a sheer cliff face, Ruby Rose stared down at seven of those compatriots in pure satisfaction. Yes, things hadn't gone exactly as planned (and she wasn't going to point fingers, but her new partner didn't really help with that). But in the end, they had come together as a group and slain not one but **two** elder Grimm which had been in their way. It might not have been that much compared to the probable thousands of other soulless monsters plaguing their world, but for her and her newest friend at Beacon, it was a personal best.

Yes, things were looking up for the youngest of the prospective students.

Ruby looked up to the horizon.

"Uh-oh."

"What was that?"

Not having their comrade's vantage, the other students down below were given no warning as the stones under their feet shook and rattled them like tuning forks. Battlements quaked and tremors traveled the anchors keeping the ruins suspended over an abyssal pit. Rather a strange architecture, if Weiss Schnee had to be honest (and if she were to actually care about such things). Although, to be fair, since day one at Beacon, nothing had quite gone as she thought it would.

Actually, things had been sideways since day zero! It all started when that annoying and irresponsible child (who was incidentally now her partner) had accidentally blown them up within five minutes of stepping onto the school's front lawn.

Naturally, Weiss figured Ruby had something to do with this too, as the she did with every bit of craziness thus far. But it was hard to blame the hyperactive girl when she was so far away from them and the shaking. Put out by the lack of someone to vilify, the heiress to the Schnee Dust Monopoly was further disheartened by the fact that no one seemed to have a clue what was happening.

Not to mention, whatever it was, was getting closer.

"Whatever it is, it's probably not good."

Vocalizing Weiss's unformed opinion was the least-vocal member of their unofficial group. In fact, the normally calm and collected dark-haired beauty was currently embodying the _wrongness _felt by all, visibly as well as physically shaken. Skittish as a stray cat in a dead-end alley, Blake Belladonna kept her balance on the trembling stones by balancing on the balls of her feet. She was ready to dash away at a moment's notice, and none could fault her for being wary after the trial they just went through.

"Eh, I'm sure that together we can take it!"

Then there was Blake's partner and Ruby's sister who, lacking the superhuman senses of the former and the vantage of the latter, did not appreciate the danger which was palpably mounting. But that was just Yang. Admittedly, though they had all just met, Yang Xiao-Long struck them as the type of person to roll with whatever punches life threw at her with a grin and a solid retaliation.

However, it was dubious that she or anyone else was quite ready for what was headed their way.

"Hey, um, any of you guys feel that?" Another blond like Yang (but totally unlike the voluptuous and rightfully self-confident woman) asked as he approached with the remaining three students.

It was fair to say that this young man, one Jaune Arc, might have been a bit out of his depth with this whole 'huntsman thing' (and 'life-thing', if we're going for complete disclosure). But he didn't need those battle-honed senses to let him know that he had said something stupid. Jaune had seven sisters for that.

"What do you think, _Captain_ Obvious?" For Weiss, Jaune was _always_ saying or doing something stupid, like trying to woo her with his undeserved swagger. In her eyes, the boy was worthy only of her contempt and not the sincere position of leader (Ironic foreshadowing).

"I believe what Jaune meant to ask is, does anyone know what is going on?"

On the other hand, Jaune (the lucky bastard)'s partner, Pyrrha Nikos, was someone who could demand Weiss's attention with just this passive question. But the three-time tournament champion didn't flaunt her prowess. Ever humble, she was also extremely wary of the newfound trouble that seemed to be getting closer with every earth-quaking event.

"Why don't we ask your partner?" Lie Ren offered with a patient logic that made his newfound comrades feel like they had known the boy their whole lives. "She should be able to see something from up there."

"HEY RUBY! WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY YOU WANTED TO PLAY I-SPY?! IT'S NO FAIR IF YOU GET A HEAD START!" -Which was why it was both a blessing and a tragedy that the calm young man was paired up with someone who made Ruby and her speed-abilities look like a sloth on a sugar-crash. Being the only lifelong friend of Ren (and pronouncedly height-challenged when paired up with the gangly boy), Nora Valkyrie leapt up on his shoulders to try and get a better vantage. "COME DOWN SO WE CAN- oh, you're here."

Faster than any of the seven could see, Ruby had alighted from her bird's-eye view and appeared before them in a flurry of rose petals which served as her calling card. However, it was as if the girl had captured every dark cloud erstwhile in the blue sky above, tucked them under her scarlet cloak and drawn it up tight over her dour countenance.

"Guys," Contrasting her incredible speed, her words were deliberate and slow to make sure they didn't get scrambled with her trembling lip. "We should go. Now."

Even with no uncertain terms, the seven stared dumbfoundedly as they tried to pair up the dire prediction with the happy-go-lucky girl. The combination was wrong- but so was everything else, so it was quite difficult to appreciate just how much.

"Ruby, what do you-"

The dichotomy was so distracting, that no one had noticed that the rumblings had stopped.

Really, they should have. They were (almost) all trained warriors and should have picked up on this glaring silence. They also should have listened to the words of the reckless teen who was unafraid of a bus-sized scorpion but paled at the mere mention of whatever it was that awaited them.

But they didn't.

Although, it is safe to say they paid attention when the tremors returned.

With a vengeance.

Even the most coordinated of the group had their balance stolen and replaced by vertigo as the structure undulated under their feet. Stones moved like water, ripples emanating from one massive impact.

Ruby's warning became moot as everyone moved at once without having to be told, running away from the source- which is to say, uphill, since the ruins started to collapse and fall into the pit upon which they were built.

"Is…everyone… alright?"

No one had dared look back during their mad scramble- in some cases literal, as fingernails tore themselves on the cracks in the stone floors as they became walls. Even after they had all escaped, there were those who were afraid to see the gigantic plume of dust rising out of the abyss for fear of what might emerge from it.

"I… think…so." Pyrrha answered for everyone, as winded as the others after having to rescue her inept partner multiple times in that escape which probably lasted all of 20 seconds.

"What… **_was_** that?!" Not bothering for once to smooth out the ruffles in her designer dress, Weiss straightened her body as best she could on wobbly legs and glared at her partner.

"How should… I know?" Even the speedster Ruby was out of breath. Though it might have had more to do with the way her heart was trying to beat her in a race.

"Didn't you… see it?!"

Ruby shivered despite the sweat on her brow and shook her head as if denying ever having gazed upon the thing which had tried to bury them.

"I-I don't- yes, but! I've never seen anything like it before, it was-" Ruby fired out a litany of descriptors all at once, each of the shotgunned adjectives whizzing past their heads incomprehensibly. "…Big."

"And?" Her partner asked more tentatively, not sure if she wanted to know with the way her partner was so shook up. "Is that it? Surely you must have seen something."

"I don't know, okay? It was like, a horse? A squid? But huge! Definitely taller than the trees and-and with lots of wiggling things, flailing all about like- you know those inflatable signs? No- wait! If it was a squid, I think they were tentacles!"

"I saw it." Jaune offered this remark from the back of the group and Pyrrha's shoulder. His breathing was slow but ragged, and it didn't look like he would be able to say much else until he forced himself to. "I think it was more like a mammal than a squid. A river-dolphin or beluga or something. I remember seeing one of those as a kid…" Knowing he couldn't retreat into memory, Jaune shook himself and tried to recall the creature behind the maw that nearly swallowed him. "I- I didn't really get a good look other than mouth, really, ha, ha…b-but it had teeth, and I'm pretty sure those weren't tentacles. I think… I think they were tails."

"Was it…" Before anyone could remark on the strange image conjured for them, they heard Yang's fearless voice pipe up shakily. "Did it look like that, perchance?"

Coming to know the blonde woman, some of the group hoped that her penchant for bad puns extended to bad jokes. They hoped that the image being painted through the rising mist was just an illusion of their addled minds. Or maybe it was still part of the test, and therefore something they **_should_** be able to handle.

They were wrong.

It wasn't big. It was **_huge,_** with its body alone nearly eclipsing the entire bluff**_. _**Hooved, like a horse. Or a mountain goat, rather, as it stuck impossibly on that near-vertical cliff. Its back was furred like a Beowulf, but its face was swept backwards as if that lupine creature were a pet that liked sticking its head out of car windows. It all merged into a hard, shoveling jawline that was fully capable of burying them in the pit which was the only thing between the two parties. Then there were the tails, all five of the woven appendages were ornately splayed against the rockface in an organic pattern which left no room for miscounting.

And, as they regarded it, it was undeniably looking back.

"Oh cra-"

"Oh my."

"Hm?"

The headmaster halted his mug of cocoa mid-sip and glanced over his shoulder. Looking for an explanation to the outburst, he instead found his second in command staring with unwavering concern at her electronic tablet. Whatever was displayed on there, it had the dutiful Glynda Goodwitch so engrossed that she did not notice him waiting on her for an answer.

"Sir," Still unable to tear her eyes from the device, she all but shoved it into the headmaster's face as he loomed ever closer in curiosity. "We might have a problem."

Setting aside his guilty pleasure and taking the screen, the graying man looked at the live feed being broadcast from Beacon's drones set to monitor the preliminary entrance exams.

"Oh my, indeed." Parroting the tidy blonde's words, the wizened headmaster yet had none of the worry of his subordinate. Just a smile which tugged at the corner of his ageless face and an unconscious tick as he straightened out the tie of his emerald suit. "Another one in just six months. Things are getting exciting around her, aren't they?"

"_Ozpin_."

He simply chuckled at the one-word reprimand and handed back the tablet. Once this duty was passed off though, the man in charge was free to adopt an appropriately serious expression. A commander preparing for battle, he squared up his pointed jaw and rested both his previously idle hands on the silver head of his cane.

"Well, Ms. Goodwitch, you know what to do."

"Are you sure, Sir?" Despite her boss's certainty, the woman's sever expression did not alleviate. If anything, her frown deepened. "Do you really mean to call… _Him? _His recent mission in Vacuo was fruitless. He might be a tad… difficult." More than usual, anyway, which was left unsaid.

"On the contrary, I would say he lives for these opportunities." More than knowing he was right, Glynda knew that the headmaster wasn't speaking figuratively, either. She knew this and yet was hesitant to unleash their proverbial watchdog with the students still in the crossfire. "Besides, I believe that it is his _job_. Unless you have some other reason to object, Ms. Goodwitch?"

"No, Sir."

Calming herself with a sigh, Glynda resigned herself to action. Activating protocols on her tablet, she then traded devices for an ancient walkie-talkie that hadn't been used since the last war between Kingdoms.

Well, at least not since the first time they made this call.

"Good morning," Professionally polite, Glynda did not let any of her reservations transmit across to the sole receiver. "In case you weren't already aware, there is a matter which could use your _expertise_. Sighting is five kilometers south of home base, grid coordinates Seven-Foxtrot-Niner."

Taking her finger off the button, Glynda waited. There was a crinkling on the other end which sounded like the rush of wind through the trees, possibly the heavy breathing of some large animal. Though more likely, just static due to how old the device was. Having killed the drones' recordings just a few seconds prior, there wouldn't be a way for them to tell what was going on until the report came back. Possibly seconds, possibly hours later.

But for all Glynda's worries, lack of a response wasn't one of them.

_"I'm already on my way." _

"We're going to die."

Jaune had been sure of this before, back when they were battling the two, giant, man-eating beasts. Now, he was _doubly_ sure as they faced the one, Grimm-like monstrosity which regarded them with a poise and intelligence he'd not known Grimm capable of.

To be fair, Jaune didn't know a whole lot about the monsters which plagued their world and kept humanity on a perpetual brink of extinction. But he didn't have to in order to be correct.

"No, we're not!" The young prodigy she was, Ruby declared with more righteousness than truth. "We beat the other guys, now its eight of us on one! Who cares if he's a little bit bigger? Every Grimm has a weakness, and we just have to figure out what it is! And together we have enough firepower to take it!"

To the surprise of Jaune and a few notable others, Ruby's determined, rational speech had started to rouse them from the unaccountable fear they had been seized with.

"H-hey, yeah!" Standing on a baseless bravado, the yellowing Arc threw his sword, _Crocea Mors_, into the ring. "Ruby's right. H-he ain't that big. We just have to be smart and take it on with a plan, right guys?"

Before the confidence had the chance to disseminate to the others, every antibody of hope was shaken from their bones as the beast landed on their side of chasm with a single, vast leap. Balanced with all four basaltic hooves on the lip, it leered at them with a strutting underbite and eyes that burned their bodies to ash at the same time it froze their souls.

"O-okay, maybe it was bigger than I thought…" Jaune withered under the massive shadow.

Contrary to what most people probably thought of her, Jaune's famous partner shared in his anxiety. There was unlikely to be any living being, human or Faunus that would not be affected by the presence of this primordial monster. Pyrrha simply did not let it hold her back, rushing to the front with spear and shield brandished and prepared to fight to the last.

"Stand firm!"

No, Pyrrha knew she wasn't as invincible as the title bestowed on her. But, surprisingly, this truth didn't matter, because she was no longer fighting for that title. Though it had only been for a short time, she had found friends worthy of sacrifice.

And this feeling was reciprocated. Or something like it at least spurred the others to take up her flanks. Weapons drawn along with wry smiles, or solemn looks and a defensive stance where the former was not possible. Yes, these were people she wouldn't mind losing with.

"Are we really doing this?"

Even Jaune realized that they didn't have much choice as he reluctantly shuffled up to join his partner in the harsh life he had unknowingly signed up for.

"What's the plan?" Pyrrha asked, more than willing to be the point of the spear but wanting someone else to wield her.

"It's fast," Ruby observed, remembering how quickly the creature had crossed the skyline. "-But maybe with its size, not so maneuverable. If we can lure it back into the pit, that'll buy us enough time to-"

For as fast as Ruby herself was, the beast was faster, older, more experienced and more intelligent than she gave it credit for. Just one of its tails, which were larger than she was tall, was enough to reach out and end her proselytizing with the ease of swatting a fly.

Ending her story before it even started.

At least, that's what she though happened. The ultimate awareness of the young heroine being the gritty taste of dust coating her open mouth, and a deep regret for wasting her short time on earth trying to be like other people.

"**Between the thought and the action…"** She heard a voice reaching out to her- Not necessarily comforting, because it was deep and gravely and sounded _exactly_ like what she imagined might await her in the afterlife. **"…Lies the shadow."**

A shadow drenched the figure which appeared suddenly in front of her, dripping from his hunched shoulders upon which also rested the massive tail like the weight of the world. Both things looming large over Ruby's head.

Yet he was holding the appendage back with his two bandaged arms that looked like they were still broken in all the wrong ways. And if this weren't feat enough, he then tossed it aside as if it weighed nothing and rushed the beast without hesitation or fear. Ruby would have yelled at him to stop, but she couldn't get her mouth to work with all the dust and amazement caught in it.

And because she found that she wasn't that scared _for_ him.

He would have outrun her warning anyway, just like he dodged the hoof trying to flatten him. Trumping reason and now gravity too, he ran up the monster's leg and vaulted in the air. There he came face to face with the creature that was every bit as odd as he.

And within that half-second of hangtime, the Grimm itself tried to reconcile this development. Ruby swore that she saw the beast try to form an emotion with its face made of bone. A mask behind which there shouldn't have been a soul, much less a spark of intelligence.

However, all the calcified armor in the world couldn't seem to stop the man's kick which lashed out almost faster than the eye could see and sent the giant Grimm flying back into the pit.

"Woah…"

"No… no way."

Rushing to her side, Ruby's sister expressed the astonishment the girl herself was unable to manifest.

"What… _who_ is that?"

Most would simply be relieved with the timely arrival of someone who could banish their nightmares with the ease of a flicking a switch, and not stop to question from whence he came. Most were not Pyrrha Nikos.

"Hey, you!" Or Weiss Schnee, for that matter, who viewed this man's raggedy appearance and intervention almost as offensively as the Grimm's. "Do you have any idea what you are doing? We're in the middle of Beacon Academy's entrance exam. -Actually, scratch that. Do you have any idea who just asked you a question? I'm Weiss Schnee and that's _the _Pyrrha Nikos, and I- _she'd_ like to know just who the heck you are!"

"Uh, Princess, did you trip and hit you head while I wasn't watching? This guy just saved our butts." Saying this, Yang still held her own reservations about the figure who was as tall as Hei "Junior" Xiong while still hunched over. And unlike the criminal bartender whom she previously emasculated, this man actually worried her. "Besides, he's probably supposed to be here, right?"

**"That's… debatable."** Standing without straightening, the man shook out his cloak of rags and turned to the assembly of students. Winning the staring contest by default, none of the teenagers could see what lay beyond the shadow of his wide-brimmed hat. But at the same time, it didn't feel all that different from the monster he just banished. **"But I guess you could say that I am on… contract with the headmaster. Ozpin calls me up to handle these big guys. You kids don't need to worry about the test right now; We're kind of on time-out, as it were. Or maybe you'll get a pass. It's been a while since I've had to interrupt initiation, and I honestly forget how Oz fixes it…" **

Shrugging his shoulders made their guts lurch along with it. Something was definitely up with this man, but a good portion of them were reluctant to find out what it was. He was giving them a free pass with a verbal stamp of approval from the headmaster. Even if it turned out to be a trick (the reason for which was too obscure to fathom), they could pretty easily give the man's unique description to the authorities.

**"Sorry if the dramatic entrance spooked ya,"** He spoke words which were obviously geared to put them at ease, but did the opposite because of how rehearsed they felt. **"I don't get the opportunity to socialize much, so you can't blame me for having a little fun."**

"You call this fun?" Even the gung-ho Yang was dubious about this description, though she wouldn't admit to having been- nor still being- a tad bit worried.

"So, who are you, that the headmaster of Remnant's premier huntsman academy feels the need to call in your help?" Pyrrha, in contrast, did not bother to hide her skepticism, approaching the stranger with even more caution than she gave said Grimm and a hand gripped firmly around her spear, _Miló_. "And what was that Grimm, anyway? I've never heard about this species."

**"Well, the 'Tailed Beasts' are rather unique. And I guess you could say that I am _uniquely_ gifted to dealing with them."** Despite the cloaking garments and the fact that his back was turned, the students began to pick up on the undertone of humor in his voice which was about as funny as breast cancer. 

"Hmph. I will have you know that we are professional huntresses… in training." Hiding her nervousness with defiance, Weiss crossed her arms and averted her eyes from the man who felt like he was picking her apart from within the shade of his wide-brimmed hat. The dish-shaped accoutrement drew their eyes for lack of a face, a bright red and white color scheme to contrast with the faded and unkempt everything-else. "Besides, that one didn't seem so tough."

**"Thank you. I saw that you all didn't do too badly yourself… for younglings."** With the way he worded it, they couldn't tell if he was referring to them or the Grimm they had faced. The only thing for certain was the veiled smirk as he turned back to the chasm. **"But this is far from over."**

As casually as this statement, the cloaked figure stepped aside and avoided getting crushed by one of three tails which flicked up from the abyss. These black appendages bit deep ruts into the ground, trying to find purchase and haul the monstrous Grimm back up.

**"Now, I would recommend you all leave this to me, run along and complete your exam."** Now beneath the humor, there was resignation laced between the cobbles of his voice. It was as if he somehow knew that his advice would be ignored even before the eight dropped into fighting stances. **"That is your _mission_, isn't it? Go through the forest, find your partners, retrieve the relics... and survive. You'd be awfully poor hunters if you couldn't follow those simple orders."**

"-And we'd be even worse ones if we abandoned someone, even a stranger, to fight such impossible odds alone."

Prepared to rush into battle herself, Pyrrha waited on the stranger who she could tell hadn't stopped staring at her. For as _wrong_ as he felt, she knew it was the right thing to do.

** "Hah!"** More a bark than a laugh (and more a growl than either), the man turned his hunched back on the huntsmen and huntresses-to-be. **"You might regret that attitude, Girl. But who am I to judge the impossible? You can stay, but just do me a favor- actually, make that two."**

Before listing any conditions, the stranger leaped backwards towards them as a fourth tail sprouted from the chasm and swept the ground where he had just been.

**"One: don't get in the way." **

Missing the first time, the tail whipped back for another pass. Flailing blindly, it still would have found its target the second time- along with the students who were now adjacent to him. If, however, it wasn't for the man who sliced it apart with clawed gauntlets concealed behind the threadbare bandages.

Screams echoed from the pit up to the heavens which were blasphemously blue, even as black blood rained on all the huntsmen.

**"And two…" **

Blinking the misty essence out of their eyes, the teenagers gradually understood that the blades attached to his arms weren't blades at all. They were part and parcel of his arms, which were as black as the shadows which hid his face- black as the Grimm staring out angrily from the pit.

They noticed this oddity but did not register it, not until something unfolded under his trappings and shrugged off the tattered robe like the yolk of reality. Three tails, black as tar emerged from the threadbare garment as if awakening from a slumber, and they stretched high into the sky to blot out the sun. Everything was darkness except for the armored exoskeleton which was as white as the clouds passing by overhead. Fluffy deities completely unconcerned by the profanity happening on the ground.

The heavens might have turned a blind eye, but the mortified students found another set staring back at them.

Grimm had red eyes. He had red eyes. But simply calling them red was as much a disservice to their depth as labeling the other monster 'big'. They were fathomless, dyed crimson from centuries of untold bloodshed but with black humor still able to dive in and out of their broken mirrors.

And as they stared down the tubes of those kaleidoscopes, the world they thought they knew became madness.

**"Don't blink." **


	2. Paint it Black

**I'm back! Did you miss me? **

**...You did? Huh, you guys are weird. I love it! Just a heads up, as things only devolve from here. **

**Thanks to all those who reviewed! For those of you that found it a bit 'confusing', if you would, please clarify which parts. Some, obviously, will be expounded later on. But I know there's things I neglected to write down explicitly which is why I'm spacing out the chapters I already have written so I have the ability to go back and edit. **

**This all makes sense in my head when I'm writing it, but keep in mind I am very much a deranged individual (if you don't know me already, this is your final warning). I'm trying my best to synthesize both sets of Lore, and yes, it will get _very _confusing if I don't keep it reigned in. So help me keep my thoughts within the bounds of controlled chaos by calling out these missteps. **

**Or don't. Either way, let the madness continue!**

* * *

"**One more thing: hold this for me, will ya?" **

Petrified, Pyrrha had little choice, and the one piece of clothing that wasn't shredded by the unveiling was forcibly shoved into her hands for safe keeping. Though she wanted to understand the significance of what she was entrusted with, she couldn't take her eyes off that which it revealed in its absence.

With the hat and attached veil removed, nothing stood as a buffer between the students and their innate fear. There was hardly a difference between the beastly face smirking at them and the giant one just now reemerging from the pit- except for the smirk itself, which decried a personality, a cunning behind the stark bone and inky flesh.

Which might not have been a good thing.

"**What, do I have something on my face?" **The smirk widened into a threatening smile, revealing rows of pearly white fangs as sharp as the tongue.

"Y-you're a-a-" Any attempt at a guess was halted as red eyes danced over them with amusement and anticipation.

"**A-a-a Grimm? A Monster? Abomination…?" **As he flexed his claws, Pyrrha realized how close they had been to her throat. **"And, what if I am?"**

None of the students had a coherent rebuttal, fearful of offending their savior or else unwilling to give him a reason to be their damnation.

The gigantic Grimm hauled itself over the edge with a roar of effort, reminding them all of their original concerns. Not even the Schnee could retain prejudice in the face of utter destruction.

"Are you…" Absently, the woven hat flexed under Pyrrha's fingers. "Are you really here to help us? Because if you aren't an enemy… what does it matter?"

Considering their desperate situation, there were few who balked at this naively mercenary attitude. However, one of those happened to be the humanoid Grimm himself, who then made them all flinch with a frown which looked like disapproval.

"**Bah, you're no fun." **While the students were stuck between distress and disbelief, the Three-Tailed Man-Beast turned back to the Five-Tails in hope of a more satisfying reaction. **"If you must know…**

"… **I'm the lesser of two evils!" **

The tailed beasts charged one another, mirror images with one only _appearing_ smaller than the other.

Previously, Ruby had judged the behemoth Five-Tails to be capable of three-quarters of her own top speed, based on how quickly it crossed the horizon. Gauging its charge now, she realized estimate had been pretty good.

But _HE_ was faster.

Faster than the beast and possibly her- she couldn't judge. She was one of the few who could even follow the blindingly fast movements as they played out blow for blow on a stage to which the teens had front-row seats.

Scratch that- they were in the splash zone, forced to seek cover as one of the ginormous tails smacked into the ground like a meteor. Squinting through the rocky shrapnel, Ruby never took her eyes off the proceedings. She saw the moment when the smaller of the two leapt up onto his adversary, clawing along the tail like a cat would a scratching post.

The tail might as well have been a highway directly to the great beast's nerve center, and he shot along it until he smacked into the helmeted head with all the force of an artillery round. It was almost comic how the comparatively insect-sized Man-Grimm could whip the mountain-sized monster.

But no one was laughing. Like he said earlier, the fight was far from over.

He didn't so much as land on the ground as bounce off it, just barely ahead of another strike which was hot on his own tails. Not helpless even when suspended in air, he practically swam through the subsequent attacks which tried to swat him out of the sky. Ruby noticed how he used his own extra appendages as a rudder the same way she used _Crescent Rose_ to change trajectory. She might have even been jealous of the natural ease with which he accomplished this, but she was too consumed with amazement to be anything else.

"**Move!" **

She had also been too distracted to notice when the dangerous game of cat and mouse migrated closer to them. The others had already scattered, justifiably assuming that Ruby would as well. When they finally noticed they were missing their youngest member, there was only enough time to look back in horror as the Five-Tails trampled the area she had just been. Its hooves turned the copse into a clearing and the trees to toothpicks before their eyes, clouds of dust obscuring the girl's fate.

"Ruby!"

She heard her sister's voice but wasn't in a position to respond. Not only because she didn't know where she was, but her breath had been stolen by the strong hold around her.

"**Damn brat… what was the first thing I said?" **

Perhaps it was just the gruffness in his voice which made it sound so scornful, or it could have been her imagination. The difference hardly mattered to Ruby who was mortified at having to be saved yet again.

"I'm… sorry…"

"**What makes you think I care any less than **_**he**_** does?" **She hung her head while hanging from one of his surprisingly strong tails, suspended in the tree branches high above the ground. **"Tch. Come on, quit your moping. I'm not going to carry you." **

"Get your paws off my sister!"

"**Ah, good. You can take her then!" **

Ruby caught the warning mere moments before she was caught by her blonde sister bounding towards them. It had been a perfect toss, slow enough not to bowl the two of them over but fast enough that it wasn't intercepted by another massive tail which smashed between them and Ruby's black knight.

"**Oi! You trying to get me in trouble? I'm supposed to keep these brats alive, ya know?!" **A roar responded to the rhetorical-sounding question, blowing away the dust and making the students wonder if he could somehow understand his fellow monstrosity. **"**_**Yeah, yeah,**_** quit fucking around!"**

As the Grimm-like creatures charged headlong at one another, Yang turned her head away from the battle to the sister in her arms.

"You alright, Champ?"

"How?" Instead of answering her sister or even looking at her, Ruby continued to watch the titanic battle unfold. Somehow, it seemed as if the Five-Tails had acquiesced and upped the tempo, increasing its own speed and tilting the scales back in its favor. Yet, for every time the smaller demon was smacked away like a baseball, he rebounded nearly as fast. "How are we supposed to fight something like that?"

"You might not like it," As the others regrouped with them, Blake herself looked like she wanted to be anywhere else. Yet she stood by, if only as a witness to the destruction. "But I don't think we're meant to. Not that I entirely trust him, but it seems like he was telling the truth when he said that Ozpin wants him to handle it."

"Obviously! But why do insist on calling _it_ a _he_?" Weiss practically spat as she paced the trampled turf, looking for a pronoun that wouldn't leave such a bad taste in her mouth. "You _saw_ that thing, didn't you? It's a monster! A bloodthirsty Grimm! There's no way we can trust a beast like that to act in anything but its own self-interest. Who's to say once it's had its _fun_ with the other one, it won't come after us? Our mission is to get these relics to Ozpin. I say we do that, then let the headmaster sort out whatever becomes of this debacle!"

As hard as it was to agree with the Schnee, Blake found it equally difficult to fault the conclusion she came to. Maybe it was the girl's haughty tone she found so distasteful. Though more likely, it was because of how easy it was to substitute the words 'monster' and 'Grimm' for 'Faunus'.

Then again, perhaps Blake was taking this superficial similarity too personally.

"You are right." Everyone was surprised by the redhead's agreement and looked at her as if noticing her presence for the first time. "We're not meant to take on such an impossible task."

"_Thank you_, Pyrrha. At least I know I can count on someone to-"

"-At least, perhaps not alone…" The white-haired girl went silent with incredulity, along with everyone and everything else as Pyrrha found herself alone with the battle being waged for their fates. Her hands curled around the one tangible connection she had with these veritable deities, not feeling the earthly object so much as the frustration that went along with it. "I mean, why else would we be here? What's the point of attending Beacon if we're just supposed to leave the protection of the world to those that are stronger than us? We're just students, I understand that, and yet…"

Yet all they could do was _watch_, much like how the others watched her without being able to lift a finger. Maybe they had been thrust into the deep end before they were ready, but surely they could do something more than silently drown in guilt?

"If not now, _when_ do we take that first step?"

Silent now as well, Weiss recounted another time in recent memory where she felt totally outclassed and helpless. Yet, in spite of that- _because_ of her own trial, she was here now, wasn't she?

"Nope!" Jaune flinched at the volume of his own voice, or perhaps how it was punctuated by another crash which made the trees around them quake in fear. "Nu-uh. No way. Look, I don't know about you guys, but this is **not** what I signed up for!"

Though technically he had not signed up for anything, Jaune was sure that he never would have faked his transcripts if there had been even an _inkling_ that something like this awaited them. This was more than not-normal, this was, was… insane!

"What were the rules we were given?" The partner Jaune had almost forgotten about asked, making his guilt temporarily override cowardice. "At the beginning, before… _this_."

"Retrieve the relics." Yang fingered the white knight chess piece in her pocket, remembering that it had indeed been earlier today.

"Partner with the first person you make eye contact with." Weiss grumbled, folding her arms and trying to recall her ire which now seemed so paltry.

"Landing strategy…" Jaune rubbed his arm in soreness and chagrin, trying to contribute _something_.

"Don't get in the way." Over her shoulder Ruby muttered defiantly while fixated on the fight.

"Don't blink." Like Ruby, Blake was fixatedly tracing the dark streaks which decorated the skyline like a daytime meteor shower.

"... And don't hesitate to destroy anything in your path." Pyrrha supplied when it seemed no one else would.

"That's code for: Break his legs! Right?" Nora surged forward; whatever nervousness she'd previously held converted into manic excitement.

Ren tried to placate his friend with a calming hand on the shoulder, but then feared that she was already too heavily invested, and he just would be swept along for the ride. "It seems like it," He sighed.

* * *

"**Come on, I know you've got more than that!"** Picking himself out of a hoofprint, the Three-Tailed Man-Grimm rolled his shoulders and cocked his predatorial head at his opponent. **"You've done a good job holding back, buddy. I'm really proud of ya. But now the brats aren't here, so let's cut loose and have some fun!"**

"Now!"

"…**Of course…"**

Of course, the horse-dolphin would finally choose to listen to him the exact moment when the humans (and not-so-hidden Faunus) chose to disregard advice. Her cursed their mulishness along with his own myopathy which kept him from noticing until now. Then he took off towards the redhead with whom he entrusted one of his few remaining possessions.

With the beast being distracted by the flighty Ren and expendable Jaune, Pyrrha threw herself behind her spear and targeted the giant beast's ankle. The beast above recoiled its injured leg more in surprise and curiosity than actual pain, looking to see what kind of thorn it had stepped on during its wanton destruction.

As the Grimm inadvertently unbalanced itself, a crimson blur snuck in beneath its notice and dropped its payload. Weiss unfurled from her partner's slipstream and shot a patch of ice under the other columnar foreleg before she was picked up on Ruby's return trip. Once everyone was out from underneath, the partners collectively attacked the precarious pillar with every bit of explosive power and powder they had left.

The Grimm's overgrown fingernail slid easily on the ice and took the towering limb down with it like a bowling pin. With its front support then gone, the monster collapsed, its shovel-like jaw digging into the ground.

"Yang! Nora!" Pyrrha called out even before making sure that she herself was clear of the falling body.

"One 'Woman-of-Mass-Destruction' inbound!"

Yang hollered above the sounds of her own exertion, digging her heels even further into the dirt and leaning back just that little bit extra to get the elasticity she desired. A similar tactic which they had used in their earlier victory over the Avian Grimm, this time it was Nora who was loaded into the improved slingshot and aimed at the monster's unmissable mug. And instead of the ruins, Blake's nigh-indestructible ribbon was yoked between two elder oaks who were bent backwards like saplings in a typhoon under the stress.

"Let'er- _me_ rip!"

The pint-sized destroyer flew akin to her namesake without the benefit of a winged horse, her Warhammer cocked and loaded with a goodly portion of the students' collective explosive Dust.

Impact was felt by all, though none more than Nora herself and, hopefully, the Grimm. The strike burst against its forehead like a volcanic zit, throwing flame high into the sky and the diminutive huntress back into the waiting arms of Pyrrha. The roar of the explosion mixed in with the one of indignation, and they at least knew they had succeeded in pissing it off.

"Don't stop!" Pyrrha urged as she set down the smaller girl and picked up her weapons. "We have to keep on the pressure!"

"**Not going to be enough!" **

Pyrrha and the others might have known this subconsciously from the very beginning. But it was against conscious decision that they found themselves suddenly picked up and thrown back into a pile behind the tree line. They were only beginning to figure out whose limbs were whose when three tails landed in front of them. Standing on his hind legs like a person, the Grimm-Man wove his front claws into strange configurations faster than what should have been humanly possible.

Reminding them, again, that this wasn't a fight between humans.

Godly forces were at play as suddenly a forest of colorful rock replaced the greenery around them. Stone-hard walls sprouted just in time for waves of boiling water to be dashed against them. All around, their shelter groaned and cracked under the onslaught. The unfortunate trees never would have lasted a second in defense. The students themselves could hardly put up much of a fight with the boiling fluid stealing all the oxygen and baking them in their shelter like a convection oven.

Mercifully, the assault only lasted a few seconds. A few seconds in which they were simultaneously drowning and burning at the same time, like being at the bottom of an ocean of fire.

"What… was that?!" Pyrrha gasped as she tried to haul herself to her feet using one of the branch-like crags of their bunker. Grip so hard it began to bleed, she looked down to see what she had grasped. "…Coral?"

"**None of your business,"** He growled from in front of the U-shaped construct, and they suddenly wished that the barrier reef ran between them and him. **"You still seem to be under the mistaken impression that this is your fight." **

"Remnant is our home!" Ruby protested firmly even as she tried to stand on shaky legs. "And Beacon can be too! We're fighting, trying to earn-!"

"**You do not understand," **With a quiet voice and screaming eyes he silenced any logical argument. No one could even hear themselves panic within the raging storm that looked back at them.

"**He. Is. MINE!"**

A crater replaced his footprints as he shot off at the giant Grimm, and the teenagers found they could once again breathe. With the way the day was going, they drunk in the air like it was the last they would ever taste.

"Did we…" Jaune started and stopped, panted as he barely scraped himself to his knees. "Did we just screw up?"

"No," Pyrrha answered despondently as she looked down at her shield and the aged hat tucked behind it. "We don't matter enough to even do that."

* * *

"**Now, I guess it's my turn to kick it up a notch!" **

Weaving another set of mudras while falling downwards through the air towards the Five-Tails, the Man-Beast took a deep breath which seemed to swallow the sun and fuel the pilot-light in his gut. Then from out of his ear-splitting grin came a torrent of blue flame accompanied by a whispered phrase:

"_**Cat Flame: Roaring Fire."**_

There were temporarily two stars in the sky over Remnant as the ball of combustion expanded from the size of a baseball to then eclipsing the entire bluffs.

But for as magnificent as it was, an energetic mist stampeded in from the opposing side and smothered the flames before they could reach their target.

"**Oh, that hardly seems fair-"**

As with his attack, his griping was cut short. Out of the expanding mist barreled the beast like a battering ram, the superheated and expanding steam it produced from its pores further propelling the monstrosity towards him as he fell as helplessly as a clay pigeon. Not even his hardened exoskeleton helped lessen the pain as he all but shattered against the mountainlike skull.

Yet, he managed to hang on, claws digging in and holding more doggedly than what his life was probably worth.

"**So, that's why you were goin' easy on me, huh?" **Grumbling into the rigid forehead, he knew the beast could hear the reverberations even with the wind rushing past them as they continued to rise in a ballistic arc. **" 'Cause you think all I got right now is fire, and you can beat it with water. Heh, I think your Sis'd have something to say about that…" **

What had been one infinitesimal weight on its forehead suddenly swamped the Five-Tails as it spread like a plague across its entire body. One voice multiplied into many which boggled the monster's foggy mind, and the multiple Man-Beasts all shouted in unity.

"**But for me, I'll say it once here and now: DON'T PITY ME!" **

Their combine momentum slowed with the spontaneously added mass, but then the Monster's suddenly reversed as the legion of smaller Grimm kicked downward all at once.

As it tumbled towards the ground, the Five-Tails sucked up more of the ambient moisture. Hoping to use it either to slow its descent, or else retaliate against the enemy which was now pursuing it downwards.

Even with its mind as foggy as the mist, the rampaging Monster realized when the condensation had condensed faster than it had intended. Too much moisture was accumulating around its body and the rushing wind was whisking away the heat faster than it could gather. Water then sat stagnant against its body like lead weight as it fell.

"**Water Release: Kelp Forest!" **Came the singular shout from above as the clones disappeared into the clouds.

Ropes of liquid grew and dove into the puddles clinging to its hide, binding the Great Beast and keeping it from mitigating its fall. All but hogtied and hurtling towards the ground, the instinctive Monster only had time enough to expunge more heat on its back which ballooned those liquid shackles and provided a buffer as it impacted.

Water and air both burst out from the crash in all directions, spewing gale force winds and a miniature tsunami which smashed against the students' rocky atoll.

"This is getting pretty epic." Anchoring herself to the rough coral, Yang continued to watch the comic-book-like combat while telling herself that the trembling in her hands was excitement rather than terror. It took so much of her concentration to maintain this lie that she didn't even notice as the tropical winds wreaked havoc with her precious hair.

"Is this what being a real huntress is like?" Next to her, Ruby was regarding the same scene but with a decidedly introspective bent. "Or… is this something else?"

"I feel as if we were witnessing something we weren't supposed to." Not daring to look at that extraordinary something, Ren kept his eyes and a placating hand on his friend. Nora was defying her normal fearlessness to simply sit and stare at the dirt, shaking as subtly as the vibrations in the air. "Like, we were intruding on the realms of gods and legends."

"-Or demons." Weiss added with her own shiver. And this time, Blake could not find anything wrong with that statement.

But apart from these reactions and the chaos itself was Pyrrha, who calmly looked for… something. _Anything_ to understand the significance of what they were witnessing. She turned to what she had been given, the hat's woven rattan and silk skin somehow weighing heavier in her hands than her bronzed shield. Yet for all the years she'd devoted into being a warrior of renown, was this it? Relegated to being a squire?

And in turn, Jaune regarded his unfortunate partner, not understanding the crisis of faith because he'd never believed in anything to begin with. Least of all, himself.

"**Your siblings' power is mine now, you didn't think I wouldn't learn my own tricks with it?" **Geysers of steam shot like laser-beams from the floodwaters now spread throughout the forest, forcing the Three-Tails to take his smirk on the run. **"I'm sure you remember how unpredictable and stubborn **_**I**_** was. At least that hasn't changed. So, rest assured, We **_**will**_** win this!" **

A bubble of the Man-Beast's own making inflated under his feet and trampolined him towards where the Five-Tails was still trying to pick itself out of its own crater. While the Three-Tails didn't anticipate a straight shot, he wasn't entirely prepared for a thick column of muck to leap out of the ground and swallow him like a moray eel.

It didn't hold him captive for long, but long enough that his black flesh was steaming like hot tar when he finally escaped.

"**Oh-ho. You too, huh?" **Now able to recognize the omens, he leapt to the side before another living pillar of mud could grab him and degrade any more of his flesh. **"Though sometimes, basics are best." **

As the swamp became a sand trap with the added dirt, he quit dancing on its surface and took to the canopy. What few trees remaining were actively being swallowed up by the landscape and slumped precariously as he bounded from limb to limb. These islands didn't last for long, but as he blindly leapt off the last branch, a duplicate of himself formed in the position of a steppingstone and actively gave him a boost towards his fellow beast.

The same phenomenon happened again when the Five-Tails spewed a bolt of water at him, and he changed direction mid-air. It then repeated with the subsequent shots until he was directly above the larger Grimm. By that time, the energy which he had been passively gathering into his palm had peaked, and he no longer needed to dodge the water-based attacks.

"**Rasengan!"**

He drilled through them, the spiraling ball in his claws continuing downwards until he was on top of the Five-Tail's skull and doing the same to its rock-hard mask. The larger beast bowed under the force; head being planted into the muddy ground like all the trees they had uprooted.

But it did not break even with continuously applied pressure. And eventually, the Three-Tails was forced to retreat as the body underneath him swelled with a steam-laden breath. Once released, the heat outpaced the moisture and baked all the mud into a playa which stretched from the students' shelter all the way to the cliffside which had once been so close. Now that area was a no-man's land, a walk of death for anyone who dared attempt it.

Perhaps both Ren and Weiss had been right, and they had indeed strayed into hell.

"**Ah, Hell."**

The Three-Tails swore as he watched the other beast not merely regather itself, but start gathering particles of energy from the ether. Beginning as small and diffuse as the misty dew, soon the droplets of dark matter which were flowing into the Five-Tail's open maw became large enough that even the students could see them. Though they didn't yet comprehend what was going on, they understood well enough their protector's disparaging remark.

"What's it doing?" Ruby asked.

Glancing over his shoulder, the Three-Tails saw how he had been pushed all the way back to the coral mound. He looked at the indominable little girl who was sticking her head up over the side. And as she in turn watched the power-gathering process, her silver eyes reflected all the inky energy like black sand flowing into the pit of an hourglass.

"**He's finally pulling out the big guns." **The Grimm grunted, turning back to the 'cannonball' for said gun which was growing so large it would soon eclipse the sun. At least, that was before it condensed into a causality which would very likely destroy them all.

"We'll just stick here then, alright?" Yang laughed nervously, trying and failing to drag her sister behind shelter.

"**Won't be enough." **

They had heard this phrase applied to their own efforts. But to have it be so resignedly given in this situation was not something they had anticipated, nor desired.

"What, so that's it? We're doomed?" Even as he asked though, Jaune couldn't really wrap his head around the concept. What had started as such a promising adventure had rapidly devolved since this morning into something that surely exceeded any reality he could imagine.

"**Pretty much, yeah." **The students who dared peak their heads over the wall still held out hope because of this blithe response, figuring that the Three-Tailed Man would care for his own existence at the very least. This sliver of optimism found more fuel with this next question. **"Question: do any of you have Wind-Dust to spare?" **

Like paper in a fire though, their hopes quickly flared and then died just as fast when they realized all their remaining stores of that commodity had been expended with Nora in their last attack.

"**Pity," **

Bitterly his claws clenched, trying to feel that power he once held. Everything had been his once- but for a second, and then he had lost it. Now, even his haven in the Emerald forest looked like it was going to be glassed into oblivion. He _could_ save himself, a few of the kids if he really felt like it. But in either case, there was no way Ozpin could overlook this fuckup. His carte-blanche would be revoked and he would be forced once again to wander this scrap-heap of a world.

"Is there anything we can do?"

Withholding the scoff that was on his lips, he turned back to see the young woman he had tasked with holding his personal relic. She was still holding it, grasping onto its promise instead of her shield and looking at him with equal parts desperation and determination.

"**Well," **He mulled over the possibilities with what he had spied earlier on. **"None of you have a Semblance that can ramp up the wind speeds that I need. So, unless you lied and have squirreled away some extra Dust in your panties, I highly doubt it." **

"How much do you need?" Even the indominable Three-Tails didn't have a quip ready for Ruby's outburst, and it was only after a handful of awkward and tense seconds that the poor girl realized the insinuation. "I-I meant wind! How much do you need?! Maybe if I ran really fast-"

"**Forget it," **He kept grinning at the girls' discomfiture despite their collective situation, though he took little pleasure in shooting down her suggestion. **"That kind of cartoon shit doesn't happen in real life." **

"Why not?!" Combined with her mortification, Ruby's denial was loud enough to be heard over the sound of their universe being ripped apart atom by atom. "…Isn't it worth a try, at least?"

"**Hope is wasted on the hopeless," **It might have been the first time he had truly lied to them. But he was also possibly lying to himself, so neither noticed. **"If you want to try though, you're running out of time."**

Not wasting any more, Ruby leapt down from the relative safety of their bunker and over to the Three-Tailed Grimm but skidded to a halt well before she got within reach.

"**That's fine," **He grunted, sitting down akimbo the best he could with his ungainly-shaped legs. **"Do what you must to make a vortex with me at the focus. Got it?" **

There was no verbal confirmation, only a slight breeze which soon picked up and became a strong gust swirling around him. He wouldn't have heard her words anyway, tuning out all sounds and concentrating on the feeling of the air as it wandered into his open hand. All he needed was the beginning, the catalyst to jumpstart the natural energy whose disjointed parts still resided inside him.

"_**Faster."**_Not enough, the stiff wind didn't have sufficient force to invade his own spiraling energy. _**"More!"**_ Already at top speed and faster than the naked eye, Ruby didn't have any more to give but did so anyway. She would be dizzy for weeks after this- if they survived.

"**Good enough!" **

The statement came abruptly along with one of his three tails which lashed out and halted her mid-lap. The last of her momentum threw him for a loop, at the end of which he released the attack that had been building in his palm.

Compared to the Beast-Bomb it was pitted against, and even the grand fireball he had cast earlier, this effort seemed unimpressive. But the onlookers had little choice other than to place their faith in it. Or, if not the screeching ball of havoc flying towards the colossus Grimm, then its creators. One of whom watched with a deranged and fearsome grin, and the other who remained blissfully unresponsive with pupils swirling as rapidly as the vortex at the attack's epicenter.

The conscious students all sucked in their breath at the same time the Five-Tails did, ready to swallow the sphere of energy which had condensed to the size of a beach ball. However, as it was being drawn towards its cavernous gullet, the discus of wind and raw guile sliced in between its teeth and burst on the roof of its mouth like a pea.

The resultant vacuum destabilized the dark ball and caused it to detonate prematurely.

That was as about as much as the students were aware of, as the unfathomably dense energy disseminated through the upper atmosphere at the speed of light. Instantaneous deafness and sunburn, the shockwave luckily knocked them down after only a moment of exposure and saved their skin. Though their eyes clenched automatically, they could still see the x-ray shadows dancing on the back of the lids.

The show ended sometime later.

"Are we… are we dead?" Jaune's stupid remark was, for the first time, a relief after an era of loneliness in a blind, deaf and dumb world.

"If we were, I highly doubt we'd end up in the same place." Weiss sniped, sounding more relieved than truly vindictive.

"Somehow, someway, and for whatever reason," While the others were still prying their eyes open, Blake checked the extra set of ears she had hidden behind the black bow on her head to make sure both were still there. "I think we're going to be okay."

"**Survival seldom has a reason. But death **_**never **_**needs one." **

One by one they regained their senses and joined them upon the remaining black and white figure as he made his way towards ground zero. At twice the diameter and half the depth of the original crevasse, the new crater was like a wok of earth baked as hard as glass. It was a long walk to what remained of the Five-Tails. But even from that distance, they could see it.

Not a trace of its gargantuan body remained, only a glowing orb the size and luster of one of its eyes. Yet, that sphere was clearly the heart of that giant monster, bleeding a thick steam and pulsating energy which they could feel all the way at the rim of the crater.

"**And, to the victors **_**always**_** go the spoils."**

And without further ado, he ate it. Swallowed it like the Five-Tails had intended to do with the energy bomb. Dilated eyes widened and the students braced themselves for another explosion which would surely vaporize them along with the remaining rubble.

"***Burp*!"** There was a collective baulk and a few whimpers, but nothing else other than his mutter of satisfaction in an ancient tongue, **"Gochishousamadeshita…(1)"**

Before any of the onlookers could compose themselves enough to make a witty remark or even a sound of relief, their demonic savior collapsed in the center of the crater. Their own silence continued while he elicited a symphony of pained sounds which fell flat as the landscape.

"**RRRAAAAARRGHH!"**

There came one last bestial cry in which many wondered if Weiss's dower prediction had been correct, if hell really had come to Remnant and they were goners. Even if they were convinced of it though, none could bear to stand and run, much less look away from the gruesome spectacle.

As he was doubled over with tails in the air, one more shot out of his backside to join the bunch. They could both hear the tearing sound it made and see the black blood splatter across the cleansed landscape as it sprouted from his flesh like a blade of grass.

Even when it seemed over, he did not uncoil from the upright fetal position. The only thing which changed in the next few seconds was that the claws clamped over his helmeted head were forcibly shoved aside to make room for two fleshy ears that looked decidedly out of place among the overall threatening guise.

But no one was going to say anything about them (even if Ruby did think they looked like cute bunny ears), least of all when he stumbled over to them drunkenly while practically dragging his expanded set of tails.

"**Well…"** Picking up where they left off, the eight teenagers struggled to remember whether he had decided to spare them in the end. **"…You survived."**

"Y-yeah, I guess so, heh, heh… um," It might have been better not to say anything, but Ruby was never one to understand this subtlety and was desperate to find something to appease the ravenous beast in front of them. "N-nice ears?"

"**All the better to hear you with, my dear."**

That grin. This was it. Having lived out their usefulness, he was going to fill his voracious gullet that even the Five-Tailed Grimm hadn't been enough to satiate. Having consumed their powers, he was going to seek out their friends and families and do the same until everyone they knew was masticated between those smiling teeth. Vale would just be an aperitif, then would come the Kingdoms of Vacuo, Mistral- possibly the isle of Menagerie if he liked gamey faire. Atlas would be last, just because that concentration of rich blood would be a perfect desert-

*BZZZZT! BZZZZZT! BZZZZZT!*

Quotidien life crackled in with an electronic sound of someone trying to make a phone call.

"…**I think that's for me." **

Reaching past the frozen display of students, he fished his claws into the bowl of his hat which Pyrrha still had a death-grip on. With unbecoming delicacy, he removed an old-style walkie-talkie which looked inappropriately small when held in his paws and placed against his boney skull.

"**Moshi-moshi (2)… yeah… yeah, that was me. It's all taken care of… I'm fine thanks…oh! The students. Hang on, let me check."** Not setting down the radio, one of his tails perked up and started to point at each of them individually as he silently counted with his deadly mouth. **"Meh, seven and a half, if you count the pipsqueak… Are they alright? I guess… wait… you want me to-… no. Uh-un. Why? Gee, do I **_**look**_** like a taxi to you...? Oh, oh, is **_**that **_**how it is? Well, by that same logic, I'd expect 'Little-miss freshman's wet-dream' to be awarding handjobs to every student who needs 'extra motivation'. Don't tell me how to do my job, you color-blind twat-! Hello? Uh, yo, you still there?" **

Not believing what they had seen, not believing what they were hearing, not believing their luck, or in truth, _**anything**_ that had happened in the past hour, the students watched the pantomimed conversation in a daze until the newly knighted Four-Tails dropped the radio to his side and acknowledged them again.

"**Huh. She hung up on me. Can you believe that?" **

"W-was that Ms. Goodwitch?" Jaune asked, somehow managing to be more horrified by the possibilities.

"**I don't know, is she the first one you think of when someone says, 'freshman's wet dream'?"**

"I mean, kinda." Everyone turned to the revived Nora in surprise, except for the Four-Tails who did it with a smirk of victory. "Oh please, you're all thinking it!"

If they hadn't been, they were now, if only to forget everything else. Even those amongst them who didn't swing that way could admit that the assistant headmaster was an attractive woman. A veritable caricature of beauty matched only by her strictness; they could only imagine just how angry she was.

"**Yeah, well, have fun with that barrel of awkward." **Catching their attention and waving them off, the catalyst for their drama had turned around and started to walk away before tossing a careless thumb over his left shoulder. **"If you keep walking that way, you'll run into her eventually. Hopefully by then she'll have cooled off a bit. I know I'm going to make myself scarce for the next… oh, say two months?" **

"Wait!"

Incredulous stares focused on Pyrrha as she stood up and spoke out, but she ignored them and met the unamused gaze only half regarding her.

"Um…" Never without words on her live-broadcast interviews, Pyrrha would have pointed out that she was a long way from the routine structure of tournament life. "W-With all due respect, the ruins were the best- the only route to overcome the cliff. Now that they're gone, we have no way to get to the staircase. It would take us hours- possibly days to circumvent the bluffs."

"**So? Why should I care?" **Another flash of fang made Pyrrha ask the same question, along with what she was doing trying to get this brute to linger. **"As far as I'm concerned, my job's done. Goodwitch can get fucked. Actually, that might really loosen her up a bit, hmm…" **

"-But can't you show us another way around?!" Not to be derailed down _that_ particular track, Pyrrha grasped at straws at the same time the bamboo hat twisted in her hands. It wasn't enough, she needed something… "O-or maybe… I'm sure that with your speed, you could get us there in no time…"

"…**You want me to carry you."**

"N-No! J-Just a-an escort for us m-maybe…"

"**Oh, ho, ho…"** Being closer to her than she was aware, half a step was all it took for the distance between them to become uncomfortable. It didn't help when he leaned in with his armored face that she only now noticed had a vulpine and cunning sharpness to it. **"You know, **_**escorts**_** usually require **_**payment**_**."**

"G-Glynda is already annoyed with you, isn't she?" Putting on the bravest air she could with a stutter, Pyrrha tried to ignore the hot, sulfuric breath tickling her ear as well as the horrified faces of her comrades flashing between the tails now caging them. "I'd imagine O-Ozpin might not be too happy if you were to go through all that trouble only for us to get lost along the way."

"**Trying to threaten me? You're going to have to do better than that, **_**Invincible Girl**_**."** He realized what he was doing, what buttons he was pushing. He realized that he was a cruel and despicable _creature_. He also realized how much fun he was having and didn't care about anything else. **"Do you really think I give a shit about who's pissed at me? Do you really think there's a single damn person that can keep me from **_**taking what I want?**_**"**

"You needed us!" Pyrrha hissed at the icy feeling of his claws caressing her bare arm. "I-I can't account for what I saw, and so I don't know if there _is_ anyone who can stop you from… what you want. But I also know that without Ruby, you wouldn't have been able to beat the other Grimm."

"**So, you think I owe you? Is that what you're going with?" **

For only the second time she met his eyes. Once might have been too much, but Pyrrha was never one to back down from something she felt needed to be done. That might get her in trouble someday- it might get her killed right here, right now. Or worse.

But by the same token, those who dare, win. And Pyrrha had never lost.

"Yes."

Entrapped by his crimson gaze, she no longer noticed the razor-sharp claws playing with her hair or the fact that her hair and his eyes were nearly the same color.

"**I'd think again if I were you. The way I see it, you owe me for saving you. And believe me, you do not want to be in debt to a demon." **

It was only by doing this that she realized while his mouth and body said one thing, his eyes spoke another language entirely. Weiss was only partly right, the thing looming over her now was a monster and a beast, ravenous for all the earthly comforts which would never sate him. But his soul was still there, somewhere, probably lost as she was in the broken fragments in his eyes. Shards which reflected what he once was, and everything he could have been.

"…**So," **Pyrrha stirred. Somewhere between her trance and reality, the smile beaming down at her had shifted and become something else.

"**Let's just hope we don't regret it, eh?" **

* * *

Ozpin stood on the same cliffside where, only hours earlier, he had bid good luck to his student candidates and then proceeded to launch them into oblivion. With iconic cane in one hand and infamous mug in the other, he painted the same saintly picture of himself as the one which hung in his office. As he stood, he appeared undisturbed by the afternoon bluster, the scorching sun in his eyes, or even time itself which seemingly overlooked this corner of the world.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Though he put up an implacable front for the sake of his subordinates, Ozpin was every bit as anxious for the fate of said students as Glynda had been. Time had simply made him better able to put up a façade, better at making the tough call if- _when_ the time came.

Unfortunately, he had let Glynda make that call. In retrospect, that was probably a bad idea, as now they had to scrounge up another pre-war walkie-talkie with encrypted coding. It was about time to contact General Ironwood, anyway.

But an apoplectic second in command was the least of his worries, and the matters he had with the Atlas military commander were far in the future, relatively speaking. They had to first survive this veritable disaster- the _students_ had to survive this and come out reasonably unscathed both mentally and physically.

It wasn't that he doubted his (what should he call him? Rabid watchdog? Sometimes-subordinate? Freeloader-who-occasionally-saved-them-from-apocalypse? Associate sounded good, so he'd probably stick with that)'s abilities. Far from it.

Trusting the… man. Understanding him. Those were other matters entirely.

Reverie came from far off. It started out low, a noise like tinnitus in his ear. Then it became the rolling of a distant ocean, the warbling of a bird, the shrieking of that one demented seagull which got trapped in their hallways for about a week.

"yyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaAAAAA**AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"**

A long shadow shot up over the cliff and was silhouetted in the sunset. Black as the coming night, but its eyes were ablaze as it hung there like the dying star in the background. It was shortly joined in freefall by an identical twin with identical fruits hanging from its four stems. Although the second did nothing to make the scene any more- nor any less- surreal.

Coming down eventually, the identical, unique Grimm landed on all fours in front of Ozpin. Both released their reluctant cargos, and the eight huntsmen prospects fell from the tails' grips to sprawl out against the cool grass. Like newborn pups, the teenagers almost universally struggled to find their feet and gasped for air.

"Woohoo! Again! Again!"

_Almost_ universally, as Nora immediately jumped back on her 'steed's' shoulders and spurred the beast on eagerly. By the second bouncing kick, the Grimm doppelganger had disappeared in a puff of smoke and left the perplexed huntress sitting back on the ground amongst her peers.

"Awww, not again…"

"**I take it this is why you can't have nice things."**

"Glad you could join us," Ozpin greeted amicably but hid his true relief. Without so much as glancing down at them, he knew that the students would be looking to him for stability after this surely trying day. "I admit, I was beginning to wonder if we'd have to send a search part out for you."

"**Yeah, well, I didn't have much of a way to get the message across, did I?" **Rattling the now-useless walkie-talkie in his paws, the Grimm-Man indicated the static signal. **"Speaking of, where is Dear Old Glynda?" **

"Currently with the other professors, placating the students. Earlier, I had some of the more senior years running damage control, and I'd prefer it if they were not exposed to more of the facts than necessary."

"**Good thinking."**

"Speaking of, I take it you were successful."

It wasn't a question, not only because it would be impossible to hide the new appendages, but because the humanoid Grimm wouldn't answer if he didn't want to and there was nothing Ozpin could do about it.

"**I'll send you a report… someday, when I can get these bastards to type on a keyboard." **Hands in the air, he clacked his claws against one another, imitating the sound.

"Well, perhaps you'll join me in my office for a drink one of these days, and you can tell me all about it." Though the bittersweet brew in his mug had cooled ages ago, Ozpin would have gladly swilled sewer water if it meant a dribble more information from his 'tenant'.

Neither of these things would happen. It was just a game they played, different but similar to the ones between politicians, between cops and robbers, or jilted lovers.

That had been the truth of their bizarre détente thus far. However, the only thing the two of them truly shared was their duplicitous smiles. And currently, the bestial man did not like the expression growing on Ozpin's face.

"Anyway, so long as you are here…" The headmaster led, taking the taller person by the elbow. "We might as well make introductions, since I am all but sure you neglected to earlier.

"Everyone, this is my associate, Jinchῡriki." (3)

There was nothing but silent confusion, the loudest of which came from the overbearing Grimm-like figure who was more focused on Ozpin than the students.

"…**Yo."**

Raising a clawed hand and a reserved smirk, 'Jinchῡriki' still stared at the headmaster with a daggerlike shard of one of his red eyes.

"Um, hi," Feeling even smaller than her youth, Ruby also felt compelled to step forward and make up for her previous faux pas. "I'm-uh-I'm Rose- Ruby Rose. And this is my sister, Yang." The latter gave a small wave with uncharacteristic shyness. "So, uh, Ji-erm- Jinchoo-… Jin… that's an interesting name…"

"**More of a job description, actually."** Folding his arms and a pair of tails in front of his chest, 'Jin' presented the girl with unimpressed scrutiny. **"Not a whole lot of point in giving out a name, since none of you are going to remember this, anyway."**

There came another bout of taciturn confusion in which the students tried to figure out what was meant by this. Even those like Jaune who were seriously considering dropping out and never setting foot on Beacon's property ever again knew that for the remainder of their days they would never _forget _this incident.

Then the breath they had only just recaptured halted as they uncovered an implied threat.

"W-what are you going to do?"

What was already being done without them realizing, the moment they met those sunset eyes they had been captured by an illusion which was more believable than reality. Their minds had long ago grasped onto the lie like a lifeboat to return them to the shoals of the status quo.

"Nothing."

The universe blinked, and the comforting spell was broken. Even the caster started in confusion as he again looked to the headmaster by his side- this consternating person whom the monstrous Man-Grimm could fit between thumb and forefinger, yet never quite crush. "I do not think anything will be necessary this time, Jin."

"**Hnnn…"** Many of those present shivered and wanted to burrow back into the safety of the illusion at the sound of this non-verbal threat. **"I thought that we agreed it would be best if as few people knew about me as possible."**

"Yes, we _did_ agree." Ozpin said as he considered the merits like he considered the cold liquid in his cup. "And I am still reasonably certain that the decision was correct… until now."

Like hot cocoa during winter or iced coffee in the sweltering summer, preference lasted only so long before the right choice simply changed.

"**What changed?"** It took a few seconds for the Four-Tails to recognize that Ozpin's flat stare was not directed at him, rather at the village-sized crater visible off in the distance. **"…It's not that bad." **

"As the one who has to clean it up, I reserve the right to disagree."

"**Liar, you're going to get Glynda to do it."**

"Yes, and I'd like to see you do the same."

"…**Fair point." **He conceded as he lowered the point of his claw. **"However, in our deal, **_**I**_** reserve the right to privacy. How am I supposed to trust these twerps to keep quiet without a little mind alteration? This generation can't even handle the Faunus in their midst, so what makes you believe that they'd be okay with something like me in their back yard?" **

"Wait, wait, wait!" When Weiss stepped forward, she was fully aware that she was walking on a tightrope stretched to its limits over an unfathomably deep pit. "I have…_**so **_many things to say right now and all these questions, 99% of which I'm sure we'll never get a straight answer to. But before you go deciding our ultimate fate or whatever nefariously cryptic plans you have for us, I _need_ to ask one thing: did we pass or not?"

With that said, _now_ Weiss could realize how nervous she was. Everyone was looking at her. Ozpin was looking at her. That _thing_ was looking at her. Ozpin was looking at _that thing_. _That thing_ shrugged, and Ozpin looked back to her.

"I suppose that all depends on you."

Weiss groaned and slid to her knees in a most undignified manner. "What does that mean?"

"Well," Ozpin began, considering not only his words, but what reality they were about to write. "You all did what I have asked of you and more. Much more. It was an unfortunate situation, literally one in a several-thousandths chance what transpired. However, I cannot say that something like this will never occur in your career as huntsmen and huntresses. In fact, I can guarantee that if you move forward, you will carry this life lesson with you to the grave.

"Sometimes, there are things you simply cannot do. Even for the very strongest of us there exist insurmountable odds which try more than just our abilities, they try our wills to go on. Because all of us will fail, and there is no shame in failure." Very few noticed the surreptitious glance the headmaster gave 'Jin' with the Grimm himself trying to ignore it all and staring off into the distance. "The first step is hard. But despite what you may think, it doesn't get any easier. You will stumble. And the only thing that matters is what you will do when it happens."

The solemnity was punctuated by a snort from the bestial man which Ozpin did his best to overlook.

"I will be honest with you all. When this happened before, I didn't give any choice. The entire incident was wiped from the affecteds' minds just like we did for the video logs. We maintained that there can be no evidence if the world is to continue as normal." Knowing that the authorities had been blind during the whole ordeal was a disturbing thought, but one which the students just piled onto the growing stack in preparation to torch it. "Looking back, I am not sure if this action was a cruelty or a kindness. Which is why today I am passing the decision to you."

"What decision?" Yang asked in frustration as she still struggled to wrap her head around the whole concept. "Whether we want a brain-enema or whether we want to still become huntresses?"

"Both."

The defiance quelled as they realized the headmaster really was putting all the cards in their hands. But the only thing they knew about the game they were playing was what they had learned thus far, and no one was sure what move was the right one.

"I quit." Everyone turned their attention to Jaune who had made his decision back when he realized they had been gambling on real stakes. "I'm done. No offense headmaster, but this is batshit insanity and I want out while I still have my head."

No one said anything, but there were equal numbers of disapproving looks as there were those of complete understanding. The one who answered was somewhere in the middle, unreadable with is poker face.

"I fully understand, Mr. Arc. However, I still must ask: are you sure? If you choose to drop out of the program entirely, I am afraid that the memory-wipe will be necessary." Ozpin related.

This gave Jaune a moment of pause, but by then, he was so fully committed to the bluff that he even fooled himself. Still, there was one thing that had not been addressed.

"Will it- will it hurt?"

"**Pus-"**

"No," Ozpin preempted any such teasing from the one who would actually be administering the procedure. "I can guarantee that you won't feel a thing."

"A-alright. Then I guess-"

"_**However," **_Not to be stopped this time, the spurned Grimm took a single step forward and into Jaune's personal space before anyone could stop him. **"Make no mistake, whelp. I can go into your tiny little mind and erase every shred of memory you have of this day. I can pick out all the scary images and replace them with pictures of daisies and scantily clad women (or men, if that's your thing). But even if I do this, everything you've felt until now, that cumulative **_**fear**_**, that'll **_**always**_** be with you. **

"**You'll wake up in the middle of the night with your heart racing and without having dreamt a thing. You'll see things in the street that will make you sweat uncontrollably and want to run and hide in one of your sisters' skirts. Therapists will take one look at you and write you off as a hopeless case because there won't be a shred of reason as to **_**why**_** you feel this way, other than the fact that **_**you are a coward**_**. At home you'll look up at all the heroic pictures of your daddy and your granddaddy and wonder why out of all the thousands of sperm that died in your mother's snatch, a reject like you made it instead. That thought will continue to haunt you until the day you die because **_**FEAR DOES NOT GO AWAY!"**_

In the personified face of his fear, Jaune found that he wasn't in control of anything. Not his mouth, his limbs, nor even his bladder and bowls. However, not even these latter two mattered as much as his unresponsive legs which had collapsed underneath him and refused to let him run away even when his tormentor stood up and quit bearing down on him.

"**You can't run away." **As the beast stepped back to Ozpin, he raised his clawed hands invitingly. **"So, whatever your decision, I'll be right here waiting for you."**

Hyperventilating by himself on the ground, Jaune wasn't about to go anywhere anytime soon. Nora and Ruby bent down to try and help their unfortunate comrade to his feet but found the task to be more difficult than anticipated as Jaune was content to burry himself beneath that grass.

"**So…"** Glancing first at Ozpin who looked as furious as he'd ever seen the man, the Jinchῡriki next scanned the ranks of students in front of him. **"Any takers?"**

Each had their turn to look at him but refused to reacquaint themselves with the eyes which would take them back to before they first met. And as he made his way down the line, his malicious smile only grew.

"I'm staying."

Of course, Pyrrha Nikos would be the exception. Except that there was no 'of course' when dealing with something as unexpected and world-shattering as this reveal. School was traumatizing enough on its own. One where the mascot was an avatar of avarice and molded in the form of a monster might have been a little much even for the strongest people to handle.

"Me too." Scrawny and barely coming up to his hip, the little Rose was certainly _not_ one of their strongest. Not physically anyway, even if she did tote around that scythe which was taller than she.

"Dad'd kill me if I left her alone, so I guess you can count me in too." Not one to be outdone, Yang stepped up to her sister.

"Uh, you're acting like there was even a choice! I can't be Queen of the castle without my Black Night and noble steed- and they're one in the same! Schwing!" Nora pumped her fist, and with a long-suffering sigh but nothing else, Ren stepped up to be with his friend. They had been through so much already, what was a bit more?

"It's unseemly for a Schnee to quit what she's started." Though she stepped up for all the wrong reasons, recent events did at least have the benefit of making Weiss's partner seem less insufferable. That would be the only concession going forward.

Seeing that she was one of the last, and that no one had surprisingly picked up on the Grimm's slip of her identity, Blake sighed resignedly and joined the others to draw the least amount of attention to herself.

And Jaune simply sat there.

"**Six and a half, huh?" **"-Hey! -"** "-That might mess with your **_**perfectly crafted **_**teams, huh Oz?" **Continuing to ignore him, the headmaster still awaited an answer from the last student. Since it seemed like he would be waiting an eternity, Jin decided that another prod might be necessary. **"Well, you know I could****be **_**persuaded **_**to do you a favor. If blondie's going to quit **_**anyway**_**, I might as well mess around while I'm in there, make him think he's some bigshot. From the way he was acting earlier, wouldn't be too hard. Add a little incentive to train more, associate endorphins with exercise, blondie might actually become valuable as cannon fodder-"**

"No!" Many were surprised, but the smug Grimm was not one of them and he watched Jaune rise with a knowing gleam. "No, damnit! I admit, I might be a coward. I'm not strong or skilled at all and I fail _all _the time and not just this once. But I'm me! Jaune Arc! I don't care if no one else is proud of that name, but _they __**will**__ know that I exist!_"

In the wake of his declaration, several gentle touches on his arm let Jaune know that he was right, that others existed too and were there to support him. And with the bravest thing he'd ever done accomplished, Jaune allowed himself to break down in tears that the others respectfully ignored.

"**Interesting picks this year, Oz." **The Grimm remarked to the headmaster as he shut down his optical weapons. **"It always amuses me how you seem to find value in the most defective people."**

"Oh, I'm not sure if I would say that," With the release of tension, the aging headmaster allowed his shoulders to slump and the wrinkles in his face to relax. "We all have our problems, but I believe there is hope… for all of us."

"**I'd tell you not to get your hopes up, but something tells me that you already know." **'Jin' scoffed and ignored the direction of the headmaster's comment as he turned his back on both. **"So, I guess that I'll take my leave." **

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

"**Hm? Oh yeah, shoot. I kind of shredded my last threads, huh?" **Glancing down and remembering his 'nakedness', the beast was fully ready to shrug it off when Ozpin reached behind and handed him a folded bundle that had somehow been hidden before. But there was no mistaking the colorful design which weighed heavier in his hands than the thick cloth alone. **"What the fuck is this?" **

"If you must, consider it your new uniform." Ozpin propped up his serene smile with the tiny victory he was about to score. "It's the clothes you rejected before. We didn't expect having to order another set of your existing outfit so soon after the last time, and the tailor was quite backed up."

"**It won't work." **Ozpin lost his smile as his associate donned the garments without protest, tossing this simple dismissal over his shoulder along with the red and white cloak. **"Whatever it is you're planning won't work with me.** **I've seen and **_**been**_** it all. But I'm not one of your kids, **_**Old Man**_**. I'm not your pawn, and I'm definitely not your guardian angel. Probably the closest thing I'd be is your personal demon- but that spot's already filled, ain't it?"**

"So long as you won't be my regret."

While slipping a scraggly arm into the voluminous sleeve, Jin paused and let the unbelted garment be battered around his shoulders by the last gasp of a dying day. On the back, the Kanji for fire fluttered like a flag for all those who understood the meaning.

"**I make no promises." **_**Not anymore.**_

"Um, excuse me?" Pyrrha approached, called by the symbol on his back which she didn't understand but recognized as the same one she had held onto for all this time. "Would you- don't you want this back?"

He regarded one of the few relics from his past with the other, red eyes blinking in the coming darkness.

"**Yeah, sure."** Taking the hat reverently from her, he faltered for a moment before putting it on.** "Thanks." **

Knowing he didn't deserve it yet committing to the action nonetheless, he nearly laughed out loud when the accoutrement failed to sit on his head. Instead, he merely laughed with appropriate bitterness.

"**Damn ears…" **

"Why don't you cut some holes in it?" Nora sidled up to the conversation, feeling no fear from her faithful 'steed'.

"**This isn't the kind of object you deface." **Though wearing it to hide his hideous visage was probably defacement enough.

"**Here, why don't you hang on to it." **No more prepared to receive it the second time around, Pyrrha was even less ready to understand what it all meant. **"I think it suits you more.**

"**Well, so long kiddies!" **Stalking his way up to the edge of the cliff, he turned broadside to the bedraggled group and regaled them with another one of his smiles that made even the thick-skinned people crawl. **"Since you're all-in with this thing now, I have one last piece of advice for you. Well, more like a warning, really.**

"**Remember: There are worse monsters out there than me!" **

With that, the monster and his smirk disappeared in a black flash, leaving the students awestruck and all but blind to the stars only now daring to come out with the danger gone.

"Huh," Standing next to Nora who had only this to say, Pyrrha found herself agreeing with the surprised sentiment and staring blankly at the spot where the Jinchῡriki had just stood- if he had been real at all.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I still thought that was pretty cool.

* * *

**(1) Gochishousamadeshita- Thanks for the food (to the chef)**

**(2) Moshi, moshi- Hello, used only on the telephone**

**(3) Jinchuuriki- Lit. 'Power of human sacrifice' (if you don't know this, why are you even here?) **

**(3a) Jin- Human radical (By itself, pronounced 'Nin', ex: ningen for human).**


	3. Welcome Home, Sanitarum

No matter how extraordinary the day's events, they were vastly outweighed by the multitudes of mundane problems which cropped up like heads on a hydra. And for the majority who were ignorant to the monster in their midst, they were far more concerned with the consequence of getting bit in the ass.

And the one busily chasing the tails of all these problems was Glynda Goodwitch.

"From the beginning I was against this." While she continued to pace the office in pursuit of these elusive serpents, Ozpin was clinging to his desk and trying to wade out the storm. "I don't mean just yesterday, but from the very first moment we were made aware of his existence I was against getting involved."

"Yes, you have made this point abundantly clear."

Tough she hadn't so much as paused in her work, now Glynda took the time to halt and turn on her heel to stare down the hint of sarcasm creeping into her boss's voice. The headmaster had to concede that her emerald glare was almost as potent as the ruby-red gaze of their current subject.

"And what was I supposed to do, Glynda?" Surrendering to the look, Ozpin leaned back in his chair to stare up at the ceiling with neck exposed in submission to the furious huntress. "By the time we had an inkling as to what we were dealing with, Ironwood was set up for an all-out war with him. And Remnant knows how that would have turned out."

"Jinchῡriki would have annihilated a handful of outposts and a couple of battalions, like the Two-Tailed Grimm did prior to his appearance in Northern Atlas." Glynda snipped, not even having to look up the records to recall the northernmost Kingdom's casualties from their three month-long campaign in the highlands. "And after he got what he came for, he would have taken care of any further Grimm incursion in the middle of the mountains where there would be no chance of collateral damage!"

"Glynda, James was all set to send a full regiment to take care of the Two-Tails. Do you really think he would have stopped with sending only two battalions to battle Jin?" For all his discipline, the headmaster of Atlas' huntsman academy and the supreme general of their military had a streak of pride which was larger than the arctic circle. The man would not have stopped sending troops until the entire firepower of the northern Kingdom was decimated.

"No," Admitting this somberly, the bespectacled woman came to a halt and lowered her tablet which contained more necessary items than she could possibly get done in a day. "But my greater concern is that neither would _He_."

This thought among others rested heavily on Ozpin's mind and shoulders. He braced them both with intertwined hands and elbows against his desk, allowing a few seconds of shuteye for what would be a very, very long day.

"Then we should be thankful he has thus far only claimed the Emerald Forest." And on the surface, it seemed like a pretty good deal. In exchange for secrecy and amnesty, their ward had kept the Grimm population throughout the region relatively stable. Relative being the key term, as they weren't quite sure how to weight the Tailed Demons he seemed to attract. This latest incident doing more damage than a stampeding heard of Goliaths.

"I'm not thankful, Ozpin." Face as flat as her tablet, Glynda turned to the headmaster and dared him to say otherwise. "How long do you think he will be satisfied with it? He claims he's just after those uniquely tailed Grimm, but how many more _are_ there? And once he's done… what then? Ozpin, you treat him as if he's the lesser of two evils when compared to Salem, but what if he isn't?"

"It's what I'm counting on."

If the electronic device had been any less a part of Glynda's anatomy, she would have dropped it at this admission.

"What are you saying?"

Saying nothing, Ozpin swiveled in his chair and stared out one section of the windows which encircled his office. The view from that tower overlooked nearly all of Vale's domain, including Vale City, Forever Fall and the Emerald Forest. The latter which now had a new crater carved out of it, not unlike the ones which pockmarked their fractured moon.

Which of those impacts had been what broke it?

"I don't think he's as self-centered as he claims to be. Just… trying to figure out who he is."

This claim hung in the air like pungent incense, invasive and cloying. The sensation associated with something profound but bringing its beholders no closer to enlightenment.

"I'm sorry, Ozpin," Glynda apologized, breaking the reverence. "But I just don't see it."

"Well, it just seems to me to be a natural progression."

Seven heads turned to look at the girl as if she had just as many sprouting from her neck and all seven were staring back. Not only because of the content of this outrageous claim, but the fact that it was put so coherently.

"What?! All I'm saying is that you've got humans and animals, then you've got Faunus who're humans with animal parts, so what's so weird about having a person with Grimm parts?" Nora exclaimed exasperatedly while delineating the theoretical boundaries with her hands. "Granted, he's more Grimm-ish than personable at the moment but It's like, I don't know… a milkshake! You've got your different flavors of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry- ooh! And maybe some chocolate chips to represent semblances, or walnuts- can't forget about the Aura of whip-cream… where was I going with this?"

"That's more like Nora," Ren sighed mainly to himself as both his neighbors at the table were engrossed in the topic of desert. He chose to lean more towards his childhood friend, as on the other side, Ruby was starting to leak copious amounts of drool since the mention of 'chocolate'. "Still, I'm surprised she didn't immediately come up with an analogy to pancakes."

"We don't profane the holy food in such a plebian manner." Dismissing this with a royal air, Nora immediately went back to conspiring with her fellow sugar addict about the merits of milkshakes for breakfast.

"-Except that it's entirely different from humans _and_ Faunus." The other half of the table did not take this conversation nearly so lightheartedly. Surprisingly least of all was Blake, who had a dark countenance overshadowing her pale skin since the first comparison to Faunus.

"I have to agree with Blake on this one." This support from Weiss once again did more to make the secretive girl question her position than reinforce it. "At least Faunus have _souls_. We don't know _what_ kind of power that _Thing_ uses except that it feeds off other Grimm!"

"You mind keeping your voice down, princess?" Busily chewing at a piece of bacon with a ham-steak attached, Yang didn't bother to hide her mannerisms knowing that the uptight girl would get offended anyway. "We can hear you all the way at this end so you can bet our neighbors can too. And if it's all the same to you, I'd rather not get kicked out or be forced to have that thing play doctor with my head."

Not falling for the goad, Weiss scowled down the table at her new blonde teammate but held her tongue.

After their delayed team-placement ceremony that morning, Ozpin had ushered the eight of them aside to reiterate exactly what they had agreed upon by choosing to attend Beacon. In yesterday's post-ordeal euphoria, the decision had seemed so clear. But with classes and the entire semester's schedule delayed by events, they now had an entire day to reflect and perhaps even reconsider.

"He has a soul."

Attention whipping back to the other side, Pyrrha continued to mechanically eat her waffle by cutting the sections into precise squares and forking them in her mouth where she chewed them for exactly 50 times before swallowing.

"How do you know?" Blake enquired, pushing aside her own unappetizing breakfast and leaning over the loaded table.

"I saw it."

This was said simply and left there. Soon, the others discovered that was all which was going to be given.

"Ooookaaay, What about you, Jaune?" Already accepting the redhead's answer, Ruby was concerned with the first friend she had made at Beacon. Jaune was now part of the somber squad and had yet to say a word about his 'up-close' encounter. "How are you holding up?"

"I can't." Nothing in front of him, Jaune stared at the empty space as if it were the pond Narcissus drowned in.

"That's okay, you don't have to say anything if you don't want-"

"No!" Bursting out and then cowering at the exclamation, Jaune clamped up and wrapped his hands around his head. Noise, light, emotion, it was all too much for him. "I-I can't do this. I don't deserve to…you guys don't understand, I'm not meant to be here."

"What are you talking about, Jaune?" Sounding like survivor's guilt, the others could understand even though no one had died. "Whatever it is, it's alright, you're one of us-"

"I faked my transcripts."

The argument which had waged continuously throughout the entire morning was brought to a grinding halt by this admission like an anchor. It was so far removed from their current crisis, so heavy and unwieldy, that no one knew what to do with it.

Where the bustle and gaiety of the cafeteria had been oppressive to his mood, this sudden onslaught of silence was even worse to Jaune and he moaned torturously while banging his forehead against the table.

"You see? I'm not meant to be here… I'm so screwed, I'm so screwed, I'm so screwed… why didn't I take the way out when I had the chance? Ooohhh…."

There wasn't much anyone could do or say, especially Jaune's partner who now had to bear the burden on all fronts. Still, she patted the distraught boy on the back and ensured him that it would be alright while silently wishing someone would do the same for her.

"Well… you survived, didn't you?" Though separated by nearly half the table and by a lifetime of experience, Blake still felt somehow compelled to say something to reassure Jaune. It was the least she could do, given she wasn't brave enough to come clean about her own less-than-honest record. "We all made it through initiation, not to mention challenges I doubt half the people here have faced. You _faced Him_. I think that trumps whatever came before and proves that you have a right to be here, regardless."

There were sympathetic nods of agreement to Blake's speech, some tacit acceptances of Jaune's circumstance within their own plight, and a handful of verbal assurances that _everything_ said at that table would remain a secret.

But that was as far as things went, because it wasn't even noon yet and they were already exhausted. A combination of the previous days' strain in addition to everything that they now had to carry with them throughout their days. Classes would present a new challenge which they all agreed to not think about for now. It was decided that they would take things slow and rest up for the remainder of their 'free day', trying not to think much on anything at all.

"Ah, finally,"

Ruby sighed as the last of her partner's multitudinous trunks were tucked away, and she sat back on another which now functioned as a bench. She ought to be grateful that neither she, nor Blake, nor even her sister were so high maintenance as to require the whole contents of a walk-in wardrobe. But… Ruby was too tired to be appreciative of this fact.

Apparently, 'resting up' didn't pertain to the strictly physical exercise of getting their room in order. And it was true that the most strenuous mental task had been figuring out how they were going to fit their collective accoutrement in the limited room provided.

Although, maybe they could have spared a few extra brain-cells when they decided to construct bunkbeds. Currently, the jerry-rigged setup looked more unsteady than they felt themselves, and there was at least a 50/50 chance that someone would get a rude awakening sometime during the semester.

….Meh, that was a tomorrow problem. There was one last 'today problem' which was-

"Wait. Where's Weiss?"

Incessantly tapping her foot, Weiss kept glancing up and down the halls and waiting for someone to let her into the headmaster's office. Meanwhile, she debated the merits of just walking off to find a staff-member herself with the chance that she would miss someone coming out of the room.

Knocking on the door had yielded no results, not even when she had escalated from 'polite society' to 'This is the Atlas Police and We Have a Warrant for Your Arrest'. Maybe no one was there, and maybe it was a good thing they were required to leave personal weapons in their lockers.

But those were possibilities to wonder on later, and Weiss was running out of her current stores of patience.

"Finally!"

Glynda gave no recognition to the rude remark as she passed by on autopilot. Her face was glued to her tablet and her feet were tracing her personal rut in the weathered stones. It wasn't until the Schnee humbled her tone to that of an inquisitive child, that the older woman's reptilian attention was snagged by its sound like that of an annoying fly.

"Yes, Ms. Schnee, what can I do for you?"

Weary though she was, Glynda put a concerted effort into dealing with the eight students who were likely traumatized by her boss' actions- or lack thereof. Though as she listened to the young woman's issue, it became harder and harder to maintain this matronly persona. Even the quasi-holy scripture in her hands fell to the wayside, as what Glynda was hearing now might very well change a good number of those commandments anyway.

"Are you sure?" She asked when all was said.

"Positive."

Trying very hard not to visibly show anger, the deputy headmistress absently fell into a childhood tick of biting her fingernail.

*SNAP!*

It didn't work.

"_Come_." She commanded, previous destination permanently waylaid.

"Wait," Weiss blurted. Suddenly, all the second thoughts which had eluded her prior now beckoned the girl to come and hide with them, away from the professor's area-wide anger. "Isn't- Isn't this the headmaster's office?"

"It's just a decoy!"

Slapped in the face by this shout, Weiss was forced to realize she had much to learn. First and foremost being the concept of impatience and indignation as defined by Goodwitch. But this, like the door, was just the surface of the madness, as she was about to discover.

"Of course it is." She sighed.

"Is this true?" Glynda conducted Weiss's testimony to the headmaster.

All but dragged up to the top of the tower by the shackles of Goodwitch's seriousness, Weiss was then forced to repeat her spiel in front of the uncharacteristically stern and judgmental headmaster. And by the time she finished, she felt less and less like an innocent bystander and more like a convicted criminal.

"Of course it is."

-And judgment had just been passed with a sigh from the headmaster. Both the defendant and even her advocate stunned by the frank verdict.

Ozpin stood with all the purpose of the raising of the gavel, but then drifted away from behind his desk and over to the panoramic window behind it.

"I have been an educator for a very, very long time Ms. Schnee." In the reflection, both women could see lines of age reflected ten-fold so that they came somewhat close to the truth. "I also have my own secrets. The one you know of I have been keeping out of the public eye for nigh on two years now and only reveal it now because I choose to."

Stepping back allowed the headmaster to regard his guest with a weary smile. It also revealed the circular scar within the forested backdrop like a crack in the glass façade.

"Do you really think that I wouldn't notice someone trying to forge their records?"

Put like that, Weiss could indeed see how silly she had been. But at the same time, she couldn't acknowledge her own folly, and lashed out blindly.

"But-!"

"-I also fail to see what Jaune's situation has to do with _you_, Ms. Schnee." There it was again: the tiniest hint of accusation backed up by years of experience. Ozpin's practiced tone thoroughly quashed her own neophyte outrage. "It certainly does not convince me that you are capable of keeping sensitive information, which would be a problem with our current agreement."

"That's not fair!" Weiss surged forth, ignoring both internal and external council as she shrugged off Goodwitch's restraining hand. "I-Do you have any idea how **hard** I worked to get in here? All those long nights- _years_ of training?! I became the best, just so I _didn't _have to rely on being _Ms. Schnee_\- just so I could get out from under his…"

Implacably patient throughout it all, Ozpin waited until Weiss had realized just how foolish she sounded and quieted down before he continued.

"You are entirely right. It is **not** fair." Passing neither judgment nor pity with this decree, yet Weiss still felt like it was a personal recrimination. "I know of all your accomplishments, Ms. Schnee, and the situation you were born into. I saw all your meticulous grades and accreditations from persons of influence and institutions of merit. And yet, all those paragraphs of biography weren't as eye-catching as the 14-point font at the top of your resume which held the name: _Schnee_."

Despite the infamy this name had come to under Jacques- _her father's_ leadership, Weiss had retained a pride in her lineage that was determined to see it brought back into favor. Now, however, she felt no greater desire than to expunge it from all her records, burn every scrap of cloth that it had every paid for and blacken the white from her hair.

"No, it is not fair." Ozpin reiterated, pacing solemnly the immaculately polished floor. "-But this is the way that it is. For worse or _better, _you will be instantly judged by your name, by your _appearance_. Just as Mr. Arc has been. Just like Ms. Nikos, Ms. Rose, Ms. Xiao-Long, Ms. Belladonna. With only a few exceptions, we are all victims of circumstance.

"It is a cruel sport we adults play. We give you children instructions on how to participate and succeed, only to reveal later on that you were simply pieces bound to rules which were made up long ago. You are free to choose your direction, but only in the manner assigned to you, and never beyond the confines of the game.

"I do not like it any more than you do. Which is one reason I decided to entrust you all with the responsibility of this secret, so that you might understand an inkling of the harsh realities which await you."

Still feeling like she was in the game but suddenly aware of the machinations controlling her, Weiss didn't know where to move or what to say- if it was even up to her.

"All manner of cruelty and unfairness abound in this world. Sadly, the most impartial thing is often chaos and madness. What if I told you that little more than two years ago, you and your entire family could have been wiped off the face of the planet?"

_Still_ unable to say anything, this time Weiss gawped and struggled merely to comprehend what she was hearing. At the same time, her hindbrain was correlating what information she had already been given, dates and circumstance trudging into alignment.

"You're not talking about the White Fang, are you, headmaster?" The Faunus' rights group had made numerous death threats against her family for their part in corporate oppression. But until the very recent leadership change, the minority species never had the guts nor bloodlust to follow through.

Seeing that she was starting to make the connection, Ozpin smiled grimly and decided to fill in the blanks.

"It was actually General Ironwood who made the ill-advised decision of picking a fight with an adversary he did not understand. Although, doing so at the behest of one of his biggest financial backers: Jacques Schnee. The man was- and still is- concerned more about property than prudence.

"You probably remember, about two years hence there had been some border patrol incidents in the mountains near your home. Previously, the news had been expounding what was termed 'fearmongering' by the government, about an immanent Grimm threat to Atlas. Then, after a few weeks, the worries abruptly tapered off into nothing.

"I will admit to silencing information on the matter, but also to brokering the peace. The battle _would _have happened on your family's land. Then Junior-Lieutenant Schnee was in charge of the expeditionary force sent in retaliation for the initial disappearances because she knew the lay of the terrane. One division, 4,000 troops to face something that wiped out 500.

"These were the facts that were never revealed to the public. But it is also certain that _had _a fight taken place, there would have been no hiding the fallout. Neither the physical blow to the Atlas' military, but to the entire world's sense of security."

"It was Him," Weiss uttered, looking not at the headmaster but past him at the visible scar on the landscape which paralleled the one in her mind and on her cheek, "That _Thing_."

Not taking offence at the disparaging way in which she referenced his tenant, Ozpin nodded.

"Yes, though hardly his fault for defending himself. And an especially ungrateful way to say thanks after eliminating the Two-Tailed Grimm that had been terrorizing the highlands. Still, it is easy to understand the other side too, which is why both parties agreed to keep his disagreement quiet. And why we think it best to hide his disagreeable appearance."

The repetition of that word did not escape Weiss's notice, nor did her own prejudices. Though she was still missing the point in being told all this, the reiteration and parallels were slowly solidifying a pattern in her mind.

"Now, I do believe you are beginning to get it. This world is not fair and often it does not make sense, which does not keep it from doing us ill. To understand this is both the reward _and_ the price of life. Yet, what I said before initiation still applies: it is up to you to take the first step.

"So, Ms. Schnee, what will you do? It is not too late, despite what you may think. We can return you to the world whence you came, or you can stay here in my imperfect dominion. Naturally, if you choose the latter, there will be more disappointment and hardship along the way. But I can also confidently say that this is the best path for you to succeed in your goals, the only real way to change anything."

"I-"

In truth, what had she sacrificed thus far that she wasn't already willing to give up? Or, that wasn't hers to begin with? What hardships and what struggles had she endured which could compare to the last 24 hours? Could she really say that she would purposefully go through more of it, or even that it was worth it?

"I…"

And furthermore, what choice did she really have?

"Oh, and Ms. Schnee,"

Being led by Glynda's surprisingly gentle hand, it stopped her on their way out so that Weiss could turn and respond to the headmaster. He regaled her with a grandfatherly smile that went a long way to restoring her previous faith in the man and the world at large.

"You can feel free to remind Mr. Arc that he still has to take that first step as well. In fact, I will be counting on you to help all your fellow classmates in your trials ahead."

Accepting this burden with a distracted nod, Weiss didn't even notice when Glynda failed to follow her into the elevator before the doors closed on the headmaster's office.

"Nicely done," Glynda commended with barely dulled condescension. A verbal que which was not really needed with the way she was crossing her arms and glaring. "You managed to completely avoid giving any actual answers. Did you plan this from the beginning, or did you just make it all up on the fly as usual?"

All but collapsing back into his comfortable chair, Ozpin could have gone to sleep right then and there if it weren't for all the things he was expected to be doing. Not least of which was providing a clear disclosure for his closest subordinate.

"It's getting harder and harder to tell, isn't it?"

"Why didn't you inform me that Mr. Arc faked his transcripts?" She asked, ignoring his fatigue which was no less than her own. "Actually, scratch that. The better question is: why did you intentionally hide this from me?"

And, what else was the man she trusted hiding? How high up was she in this game?

"I honestly don't have a good answer for it." He admitted easily enough while staring at the ceiling, catching the woman off-guard with the level of frankness, and incompetence. "But I can say that it has the same reasons for why I had you recruit Ms. Rose, and why I brought our Jinchῡriki here in the first place."

"What, a hunch?" Glynda asked exasperated, still hoping that she was wrong.

"Yes, that, and…"

Ozpin opened his eyes to stare at the ceiling of his office which was also the inner workings of the grand clock-tower. But what he saw were not things as they currently are. Instead, rewinding to the past configurations, the gears shifted back in time and the polish returned to when things were bright and new and contained promise for a better tomorrow.

He saw a family whole again, brought together not by machinations of nature but by the will of love. There was stalwart man in that image with silver hair such as his own that had not yet turned grey, and a peace of mind which Ozpin himself had long forgotten. There was a woman too, one who looked at both him and the child between with red eyes full of passion and adoration.

The child itself was like a hole burned through that family portrait. Its flesh was charred black and there were two holes where eyes should have been. No arms nor legs stuck out from the swaddling cloth, nothing but a hollow shriek on its featureless face to decry life- or a twisted parody of it.

It was a monstrosity.

And yet, that innocent babe was bequeathed with an endless supply of unrequited love from its mother, an ignorant bliss to its malformed condition, and a future of unlimited potential to grow and become something beautiful.

And still, that flawed image was the closest thing to perfect Ozpin had ever known.

"…I guess, the foolish nostalgia of an old man."

"There you are! We were wondering where you had gone!"

This was not true. Only Weiss's partner had been concerned enough to question her absence. The others likely went about their afternoon and evening with but a fleeting suspicion that the Schnee was engrossed in her own selfish endeavors.

They were not wrong.

"I went for a walk," Ambling slowly into their team's new chambers, Weiss wasn't thinking about how implausible it was that she had merely strolled around campus for all of six hours. "I had some things to think about."

However, it was the truth. The hotspots on her soles where the high heels beat up her feet were proof enough.

Ruby nodded in understanding, oddly respectful in her silence. The room's other occupants not making much noise either, with Blake engrossed in another one of her books that replaced themselves on the shelf like shark's teeth, and Yang embroiled in the never-ending task of beautification.

Neither of the women was truly invested in these mindless pursuits, though. Lying restlessly on her bed, Blake had actually been reading the same page for the last hour. On the other hand, Yang was running out of digits as she filed nails down to the quick.

And Ruby… who knew what that girl was truly thinking?

Previously, Weiss might have thought her partner was inappropriately elated at having been named their team's captain (another questionable decision from the questionable headmaster). But even a second's look with eyes open wide to the truth could see the reservation in Ruby's joy.

The younger girl had not been idle in Weiss's absence and certainly not taking her role for granted. The two grades she had skipped when accepted to Beacon needed review. And where yesterday's events had come at them out of the blue, tonight had been spent preparing for what tomorrow would- _should_ bring.

Long nights in preparation for a long day, only hoping that it would bring a long life.

Letting her partner alone, Ruby sat herself on the unassigned desk under the window. Their young captain stared out the open portal with a faraway look as if she were the pilot of a ship sailing into the unknown darkness. Salt air from the distant coast wafted up to their second-story dormitory, tussling the leaves on the ocean of trees below and making it seem like there were creatures swimming just beneath the canopy. She closed her eyes which were as silver as the moon reflected in waves and could almost feel as if she were moving forward, solid wood rocking back and forth under her fingertips.

"It is a nice night for a walk." She remarked dreamily.

An aimless walk, and not running towards or away a destination. And where would this blind journey take them? Off the ends of the earth? Into uncharted waters where only monsters dwelled?

Ruby couldn't be sure. But she could be reasonably certain that whatever happened, they would never return to the place from whence they started.

Just next door Pyrrha was gazing out at the same darkness. She filled out the window frame, letting half her body dip into the brisk night while the light from inside effectively blinded her. Separated from Ruby by only a few armlengths, yet she was worlds apart from the young dreamer as the blackness offered her only reflection.

Here she was at Beacon, an ocean away from her home and leagues away from her spot at the top of the pyramid. Although for her, being a champion had only ever been a means to an end, fame a necessary evil.

Necessary for what, though? Which victory would bring her satisfaction?

With the pedestal pulled out from under her, Pyrrha now felt adrift in this world that was larger than she could ever have imagined. The fact had been drilled into her, that there were people out there stronger, faster, _better_ than her. By finally finding one- not just any, but one which completely humbled her already modest self-appraisal- she ought to have been grateful.

But she wasn't.

She wasn't for the simple fact that there was no challenge. Unlike when this phrase was said before, it was _she_ who didn't stand a chance. Furthermore, she wasn't sure if she ever would, no matter how much she improved at this school. What was the point, therefore, in even trying? There had to be one, right?

There had to be.

The nightscape answered only with echoes that sounded like the hooting of an owl, so Pyrrha turned back to look at their room and its dull décor, hoping to pacify her yearning with mundane substance.

But there was the hat, ostentatious coloration yelling over the drabness even as it rested flaccidly on her bedpost. There was a point to that too, right? The fact that the strongest being she had ever seen bequeathed his possession unto her wouldn't have just been a flight of fancy. This whole thing couldn't have been coincidence… unless it was.

Then there was her partner, the first person she made eye contact with, in the forest. That outcome had been almost pure chance- spoiled only by Pyrrha herself as she purposefully changed fate.

When they first met, Jaune had been a breath of fresh air for her in a ship full of sycophants. Not genuflecting upon greeting, he treated her like she was nobody of importance.

He treated her like nobody.

Despite it all, Pyrrha was still willing to serve under Jaune's captainship because she trusted Ozpin to know what he was doing. Maybe it was foolish after everything to believe that the man still had a method to his madness. Especially when the only one seemingly confident in their actions, the only sure thing in their world was Madness itself- _himself._

It always came back to _Him_. She had spent the afternoon trying to lose herself by training into the ground. But she found that when she finished her routine and came up for air, the blackness ebbing at the corners of her eyes had a face. Afterwards, she had taken a leisurely bath to drown out her worries. But the steam filling the room felt like it was burning her skin, even long after the water had cooled to ice, and Nora started pounding on the door for her turn at the facilities.

Pyrrha shivered. But it wasn't because of the frigid dip or even the cold air now sneaking its way under her pajama top to tickle her spine. It was the memory which made the sensation feel like _His_ claws on her flesh. No armor in the world could make her feel not naked anymore. And even now she felt as if _His_ eyes were upon her.

"You're thinking about it. Aren't you?"

Embarrassingly, the renowned warrior nearly jumped out of her skin and the window itself with this sudden voice from inside.

"Oh, Ren, I'm not keeping anybody awake, am I?"

Her only method of keeping time had been the rate at which the heat was stolen from her dangling fingers. And judging by their stiffness as she hopped down from the windowsill, she had been sitting there quite a while.

"You do not seem to be." Still fully clothed himself, the young man glanced around the room. Ren let his gaze drift languidly to the other bed where Jaune lay with his back to them, seemingly dead to the world. "And anyway, I had something to discuss with you."

Focus returned in a blink as Pyrrha remembered the non-question Ren had addressed her with. Visual acuity returned with another blink in which she finally saw their fourth member, curled up on her bed. Nora was hugging her knees amidst disheveled sheets and looking much the same. Upright, but obviously not in a right state of mind.

"What I need to talk about actually pertains to both Nora and me, but it is still a little hard for her to talk about it with anyone else." Ren gave a weary smile that had nothing to do with the late hour. "To be honest, it's still quite difficult for me too. But it seemed appropriate that we share it now."

The cracks in Ren's serenity were less obvious than Nora's inverted behavior, but they were no less arresting in the way they got Pyrrha to stop thinking about herself.

"Appropriate? Why… Ren, you don't have to share if you don't want to-" A calm hand from the young man silenced her in order to hear his mousy voice.

"Please, do not give me that option. I am sure that it's the right thing to do, but if I don't say it now…"

Pyrrha nodded in understanding more than empathy which she was unsure if she could currently take on. Taking him by the arm, she sat them both down on her bed which was only as far as turning around.

"This is not the first time Nora and I have encountered a Tailed Beast." Ren stated as if the mattress springs had triggered this landmine. "You'd think that it would make us more use to it but…"

"-Wait, how? Why did you- how are you still alive?" Pyrrha bombarded the poor boy before realizing her mistake.

"As if I don't ask myself that same question every day." With a grim laugh, he dismissed the faux pas and continued with what determination he had left. "Nora and I come from a small village outside of Mistral called Kuroyuri. It was small, peaceful. Home. Though chances are that you won't find it on a map. Probably because it isn't there anymore and hasn't been for a decade."

If Pyrrha had any surprise left in her she would have gasped. As it was, she rationed the sympathy she'd been dolling out all day into a soft gaze for the boy.

"And when I say it isn't there, I mean it _isn't there_. Maybe a few buildings on the outskirts or a stone foundation here and there, but not enough to loot and certainly not enough to rebuild. Not that anyone would be foolish enough to stray there afterwards. People from as far away as Mistral say that there was no night the day it was destroyed. Just a sunset that glowed until the next morning." As he gazed at the carpeted floor, Pyrrha could almost see the flames consuming him like they must have done to his home.

"I'm sorry." She said, apologizing more for not being able to say anything else.

"Mm. Until yesterday, I've always thought of it more like a natural disaster, you know?" Ren was talking to himself now, or perhaps a younger version which was shorter and more naïve. "Not Grimm in general, but this _thing_, this Monster. It conjured up lava as if it were the earth itself and swallowed our home in a sea of molten stone. That night… I couldn't really comprehend it as a kid, but I guess that looking back on it, it felt like Remnant itself was angry at us."

Ren chuckled mirthlessly and dismissed his lingering ghost.

"But now, I can't think of it like that anymore. _He, _Jinchῡriki, killed one. We saw him do it, slaying the Five-Tailed Beast. Ours only had four. And yet…" Even ten years ago, all they could do was run and hide. Things really hadn't changed since they were kids. "Yet I don't know how to feel about it. Should I be grateful to have been saved twice? Elated that an actual cure exists? I never wanted vengeance before because I didn't think it was _possible_. But then he comes along and-!"

Stopping himself before climax, before he committed to something he would regret, Ren fell back on the bed and shook his head in disregard and disillusionment.

"I need closure. Both Nora and I agree that the Four-Tails which destroyed our home and took away our families cannot be allowed to live. Not when we know it can die."

"Then, what should we do?" Not understanding either vengeance or this unfulfilled need, Pyrrha still wanted to lend a hand to her comrades wherever possible.

"That's actually what I wanted to discuss, because I'm frankly not sure." Ren confessed, calling on Pyrrha's bluff by sidling her with the responsibility. "I know it sounds crazy, but part of me wants to go directly to the source. The fact is, most of what we know about those Tailed Grimm was derived from the fight. But there's still so much we _don't _know. They apparently have unique abilities, but do they correspond to the different number of tails? How many of them _are_ there? What was that core left over from the Five-Tail's destruction, and did it somehow contain the Monster's power? If anyone would be able to answer these questions… it would be _Him_."

Ren was as reluctant to mention the elephant in the room as Pyrrha herself. But she had to admire his mental fortitude for even breaching the subject, considering the hardship he had just admitted. As degrading a thought as it was, Pyrrha wasn't sure if she could be that strong.

"I don't know…" Biting her tongue to prevent an immediate refusal, "How can we be sure that… _He _would even tell us? It seemed like the only reason we were even kept alive was because of a deal with the headmaster. Perhaps we should go to Ozpin first to see if he knows? If not, then might it be possible to ask the professor to be an intermediary?"

"No."

Startling both teens was another voice, plaintiff and muffled despite the resolute denial. Across from them Jaune stirred, just enough to let them know he was not in fact dead yet.

"Ozpin doesn't know anything." Jaune groaned with the confident lucidity of being on the edge of sleep. "Why do you think he made an 'exception' for us? He wants us to be his spies… or guinea pigs…" Without saying, Jaune just hoped they weren't sacrificial lambs.

Balking at this pessimistic view, yet neither of the other teammates was able to say anything against it with any certainty. It made a startlingly logical argument out of these strange and seemingly contradictory ingredients.

"And you're dead wrong if you think Ozpin can protect us from him." Begrudgingly and with much effort, Jaune turned over and sat up to finally weigh in on the conversation. "You said it yourself, Ren. What could possibly tame a force of nature?"

"Something unnatural…" Jaune turned slightly green at Ren's response and nodded away the rising bile. "So where does that leave us?"

Safe and secure within their normal, everyday lives at Beacon. This is what Jaune wanted desperately to say, but found he couldn't do so any longer. There was nothing to be gained by perpetuating the lie because it was painfully obvious to everyone that the underlying problem wasn't going to go away anytime soon.

"We make a deal ourselves." Facing the problem head on, the words themselves were hard enough for Jaune and he knew that he couldn't yet comprehend actually going through with it. But at least he wasn't running away. "Maybe, if we're lucky, the possible location of another Tailed Grimm will be enough since He seems to be… collecting them."

"And, if not?" Ren asked, curious both for the solution and that Jaune was seemingly so composed after being a veritable wreck all afternoon.

Unfortunately, their captain could only shrug.

"At least you'd know that you'd get your revenge. Who knows, maybe he's killed it already?"

"It's not-"

"I wanna know." About to deny the resentful term Jaune ascribed to their goal, Ren was preempted by the other half who was more honest with her feelings. All three turned to see Nora perked up, supported by the boiling rage in her blood which also colored her cheeks crimson like the beast's eyes. "If it's dead, I wanna see proof. And if not… I wanna watch it happen."

Hate. Hope. Despair. Devotion.

The past rose up to plague him. Images came and went, flashing painfully bright even with his all-seeing eyes now firmly shut. Disjointed illumination, it was like looking in on a midnight gala from the position of an uninvited lurker. Being forced to watch from the bushes outside as the carousel of colors flashed by. These pictures, these memories were his only to peruse, never to claim for his own. His curse, among many. It made him feel like a mentally depraved voyeur.

Perhaps, because he was.

"**Ugh, do you have any idea how confusing it is being stuck with a bunch of random-ass memories from dead people?"**

Turning his back on the bright lights both physical and mental, the outsider retreated away from the crowning castle which housed such aspirations. Slowly he meandered his way back into his own dark domain of the forest.

"_**Hardly random. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'd say those memories are yours now-"**_

"**You're wrong."** Jin snapped impatiently, quickening his ambling gate despite knowing he had nowhere in particular to go and would never outrun the voice in his head. **"They're leftovers. Scraps from fools inconsiderate enough to croak and leave me with all their regrets. I'm their vessel, their forsaken garbage collector." **

"_**I see. Would you consider us to be such useless trash as well?"**_

Trundling to a halt, he resisted the urge to lash out, either with the first thing that came to mind or with one of his swishing tails. The trees didn't deserve injury and neither, he supposed, did his _tenants_. He was acutely aware that while he was stuck with them and their baggage, they were also stuck with _him_.

"**Well, you can get kind of annoying when you're all philosophical and shit."** He smirked viscously, which was his default.

"_**I'll keep that in mind."**_

"**Was that a joke?"** He asked the disembodied voice of the Five-Tails, resuming his march at a subdued cadence that allowed the rest of the night's denizens room to breathe. **"I didn't know you were capable of them."**

"_**Perhaps you didn't take a close enough look at the memories, then. Not all of them are so awful, Naruto."**_

"**Don't call me that-!" **__

…_I just want to protect them no matter how much pain befalls me…__** You never abandoned me, no matter what. And you never gave up on me, coming closer when I pulled away. It wouldn't have surprised me if you hated me, but you didn't**__... You helped me find my way and take the correct path, Naruto... I always chased after you...wanting to catch up...wanting to walk together with you forever... I want to be at your side, always... You changed me, Naruto! Your smiling face saved me! And that's way I'm not afraid to die, defending you! Because... I lov- __**Naruto… You're getting in the way of everyone's happiness. Our game ends here. I turned hell into heaven. You should understand… It's already over…**__It's not the face that makes someone a monster, it's the choices they make with their lives…_

Where the physical battle between them had merely wetted his insatiable appetite, this single utterance brought the four-tailed Man-Beast to his knees. Dry heaves wracked his body, an autoimmunity trying to purge what he didn't recognize as himself.

"**Don't…ever… say that… name." **He panted, unaware that all other sounds had disappeared. As he hauled himself to his clawed feet, life seemed to return conditionally to his nighttime kingdom. **"That boy… was a fool. Too trusting, too ready to sacrifice himself for the sake of others who didn't give a damn. Not to say that the Uchiha and his schemes were any better, but at least he took the initiative and didn't let himself be tromped all over. Yet, both tried stupidly to change the world, and in the end, both are dead and buried." **

"_**I suppose… that is one way to look at it. Although, keep in mind that Madara only ever sought control, over us and all life. But I will do my best not to mention that name either if it brings you such displeasure, and seeing as you are now my host." **_There was a grunt of acknowledgement, not wanting to spend any more time on the subject. Unfortunately for the Four-Tailed Jin, he did not have much choice. _**"However… I owe that boy as much as I now owe you, so forgive me one last transgression. Say what you will about him, but Kurama's Jinchῡriki came the closest to ending the cycle of hate since the Sage. And, he was the first to see our kind as something more than Demons."**_

"**All the more foolish, then." **

As much as he wanted to, the disembodied voice didn't protest. However, the current Jinchῡriki of four of the Tailed Beasts could very much feel the dissatisfaction of his latest tenant churning in the back of his mind like an upset stomach, and he knew that this was not the end.

"**-But we can agree to disagree. You should try to get some rest, Kokuō." **He mumbled inwardly with a whisper that was like the mountains shifting, sighed along with the earth beneath his feet. **"It's been a confusing day for you, I'm sure. I know just how hard it can be to sort out memories… but really, I don't want yours anymore. Do me a favor and take them back, and in exchange… I promise to think about what you said." **

"_**Yes, yes I think I will do that." **_The Five-Tails spoke airily as if he were already drifting off on a wispy cloud high about the savannah. _**"It was harder than I thought it would be to hold back." **_

"**Tch, I told you not to. It's all well and good for the kiddies, but I need every chance I can get to stretch my tails. I doubt your siblings will be so courteous as to give me a handicap when it comes time to devour them. I thought you were supposed to be one of the wise ones?" **

"_**I suppose you are right. I am sorry for that, but also for having you do all this alone, especially while I slumber." **_

"**Bah. In exchange, I get to use your power. And you guys aren't that bad of tenants… when you keep your mouth shut." **

"_**Alright. But know that I will be here if ever you need me. Thank you, not-Naruto." **_

"**Oi! What did I say about using that name?!" **

But there was no answer, not even from the crickets who had hid away in the tall grass of the glade he found himself in.

"**Cheeky bastard…" **Shaking his head, he relaxed and tried to find amusement in the ancient beast's banter.

But the only thing he discovered was a pack of glowing red eyes, staring at him from all directions. Their attraction to his rage had overridden the dominant aura he passively exuded.

"**Oh-ho, how nice for the midnight snack to come to me." **

While his foul mood had scared off most of the nightly passersby, a rowdier crowd had moved in with the promise of tasty victuals and rough dancing. However, the ones that were lured by this were mostly pups and young adolescents, as the older crowd now knew which haunts to stay away form.

Oh well, he wasn't one to look down on a meal he didn't have to chase after.

"_**Oh, and you were wrong about one more thing, Kokuō,"**_

With a blink, he was now staring back at every other pair of eyes surrounding him. The beta Beowulfs, second-rate Beringels and other lesser creatures of the night felt their innate drive falter. His gaze was older and prouder than the most ancient of Grimm and its hunger far surpassed their own in depth and scope.

"_**I'm never alone!"**_

Humans had long ago named these eyes and had cowered at the mere mention of "_Sharingan"_. Where the memory had been forgotten, reverence was still written into the creatures' DNA so that they only had to glance upon these eyes to hear the warning like the last ring of a dinner bell.

"**Ittadakimasu…"**


	4. Don't Fear the Reaper

**Hey! Guess who? **

**Um, no, no that's not even close... it's me, ya know? Your lovable (HA!) little psycho. **

_**Which reminds**_** _me:_ **

**To my Guest reviewer:**

**Not a flame at all! Thanks for the view and the review! First off though, let's get one thing straight: if you came here for normal, you will be sadly disappointed. That being said, as long as you can suspend disbelief for a tick and give into the madness which I spew, you'll do just fine. I can promise it won't be *total* bullshit. Reality can be stranger than fiction, and I my only desire is to capture that insanity in a plausible way (you know, for all the implausible story that this follows). As far as the whole power dynamic is concerned, it is an issue which is a bit difficult to address and frankly, one I hypocritically find ridiculous. I enjoy the integration of real Japanese legends, so Kaguya will get her place. But in case you don't remember, at this point, 'not-Naruto'/ 'Jin' / our antihero is more powerful than just about any being in Remnant bar *maybe* Salem. The fact that he probably could bring about world peace by force is part of the contention here: why doesn't he? Anyway, I appreciate you stopping by, even if I lose you at some point. **

**And thanks to the rest of you who support me and unjustly criticize me- Just kidding, if I don't get knocked down a peg every once in a while, I start to get these crazy ideas of self-worth and think that I'm an actual person. **

**Finally, a word on language:**

**Yes, in many cases he talks like a teenager. Just because someone is old doesn't necessarily mean that they have an extensive vocabulary and a mastery of language. In fact, spending just a few years away from society can seriously atrophy one's language skills. I know this first hand. Furthermore, people will speak at the level they wish. If you _want _to be precise with your language, English can be one of your best friends. On the other hand, if you want or just don't care, English can be a shitstorm of pronouns and homonyms (this is true of any language, but English is my primary and it has the MOST words out of ANY language, so yeah). **

**So... where am I going with this? Here, I guess:**

* * *

"_That burden you carry is as old as humanity, yet a child such as you has been expected to bare it your entire life._

"_Let me take it from you." _

_A curse is never just lifted. It is whittled, subverted, bartered and pried away with tooth and nail, flesh and blood. _

_-His blood boiled, and flesh felt like it was being ripped from his body alongside the furious energy being extracted from inside him. He clenched his teeth in concerted effort while the foreign spirit he housed bit ethereal claws into his gut, the two them trying to resist this separation. Although, could he still call the presence foreign if it had been with him since the day he was born? Could he still call it a curse, a demon, if he knew that it too felt this pain? _

"_No!" _

_It was a part of him, as much as his code, his nindō was. His determination to never give up had come from all the times he had been brought low by this supposed curse. His kindness had been his answer to the toxic hatred which plagued generations before him. And freedom he only found when he broke the bars separating them, prisoner and warden, demon and man._

_If there was a price, he would pay it in full! _

"_Why must humans hold so doggedly onto their pain? You are just like the rest of them, you know? No matter how good your intentions, you will pass on that pain and hatred to your children. It is inevitable. Look around you at all your so-called comrades and friends- It has already happened! And you have caused it with your selfishness."_

"_Then… let me be selfish." Fighting against the man trying to give the world peace, he knew he was destined for whatever hell existed for hopeless dreamers. "I'll take it all." -Prepared for this unhappy ending too, he just hoped his friends would forgive him. "All of their hurt! All of their blame! All the hardships and heartbreaks there ever were!" _

_To this end, towards himself, he pulled. The profane energy which no human ought to ever touch burned him like holy water as he reeled it back into his body. That scalding discomfort which had a name, a foxy face and nine tails- it was his and no one else's!_

"_All the sadness you thought was necessary, you can leave it to me and rest easy, Old Man!" _

_Not stopping with what was only his before, he would not be satisfied with returning things to the status quo. He would stop this cycle once and for all, even if it meant breaking the spoke on which the world turned._

"_Arrogant little fool! What do you think gives you the right to usurp those who have suffered the most from hatred?! It is the Uchiha's duty by right- __**my**__ dream!"_

_Not listening to his adversary on the other end, he was too busy fighting, and counting. Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five- it had become easier with each second, each weighty soul he took into his care fought alongside him and weighed in on his decision. Once they crossed the halfway point, it was already over. _

"_Because… I'll be taking your pain too!"_

"_What do you think you're doing, Boy?!" _

_Already he was doing it. Having become host for nine of the biggest problems in their world, there was room for one small man- no matter how resilient the old bastard was. _

_After all, he had Death on his side. _

_Presiding over this exchange, the ghoulish avatar itself wetted its blade and apatite in anticipation. A purplish tongue licked its twisted tusks, knowing that such a greedy soul would sit heavy in its gut and keep it satisfied for a long time. Death would always have its due._

"_Do you think I fear death? Do you think I fear Kami himself?" Prideful to the end, his enemy fought with all the rage accumulated in a century of bloodshed. Such a being would not be imprisoned peacefully. "No… I only fear for man! Mark my words, Boy. You cannot defeat evil by locking it away. No, because evil thrives in darkness. And even the purest of hearts, evil can be planted. It will grow like a tree and when it meets fire, it will burn everything it touches. The earth must be cleared, and man must be set free in order to truly conquer hatred!"_

"_Then… I release you. Be free, Madara Uchiha." _

_Saying this even as he sealed the vengeful soul inside of himself along with nine other malcontent spirits. The demonic hands of Death which helped him in the endeavor then grabbed a hold of him. It was an inescapable grasp- not that he would even try to resist being consumed. This was the price. And by then, he too had already let go._

"_No, Naruto!" _

* * *

"**Damn," **All-seeing eyes couldn't ignore the sun's rays which struck like arrows through the leaves to rouse him. Would they have but done so sooner. **"That one again? Can't a guy get a break?" **

There was no snarky response from any of his four roommates or the hoard of restive ghouls that haunted his memories. This silence was to be the only concession he would receive.

Would he but _never _dream, he might not be so bitter. He might be able to forget all the transgressions done to him and relish in the beautiful here and now, savor the life he did have.

Bullshit. There was no choice but to be brutish in this body he had been given. One which didn't eat but the vilest of things. One which never knew love but bathed in pain. One burgeoning with so much power that it never needed rest, yet slept so deeply that he dreamed of death.

And, of course, eyes that would never allow him to forget a thing.

He sat up in the same clearing in which he had fallen asleep the night before, after his binge. The same claw marks and signs of destruction decorated the trees which now, once again hosted the happy chirping of morning larks. Nothing ever changed here unless he willed it.

"**Damn," **The same curse wriggled its way out of his gnashed fangs. **"I'm bored." **

The gay birdsongs were starting to get on his nerves as well. But as he listened to their beatless warbles, another sound invaded his new (obnoxiously sensitive) ears. It came from far away, but the steady chiming felt like the incessant buzz of a pager calling his name.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight… nine, the school bells rang.

"**Wonder what the kiddies are up to…"**

* * *

"Monsters, demons, prowlers of the night! Yes, the creatures of Grimm have many names, but I just like to call them… prey!"

The eight coconspirators sat in their first class of the day on the first day of the (delayed) semester, wondering if they were not in fact still asleep.

"Is- is this guy for real?" Ruby whispered to her partner who normally would have chided the girl for speaking in class, but couldn't help but wonder the same thing.

"-And at the end of your time here at Beacon, you will too! Ho-ho, such fresh and aspiring young faces remind me of myself when I was in those seats. Of course, even at that ripe age I was already quite the skilled hunter, having bagged several dozen meddlesome Grimm in my hometown of Blah, blah, blah, blah…"

The portly Professor Port was very much real to their collective horror, even if his so-called lecture quickly became nonsensical sounds in their ears. Unable to focus on the words enough to discern meaning, the eight students who had congregated together sent each other surreptitious looks to confirm that they were indeed all on the same page.

Now was one of the few times they could communicate like this. Because according to their schedule, most of the day's other classes would split up their tight-knit group. Those more conspiracy-minded amongst them wondered if this dissemination was intentional. Too bewildered to be bored yet, their minds had been left free to wander to dark places.

Was this just how the professor normally behaved, or was it a deliberate ploy to placate them and the other students who might have caught wind of something amiss? Did the professor himself know about the _real _demons in the world, or was he as blithely ignorant as he portrayed?

"…And so I returned, victorious in my hunt and bearing the fruits of my labors- not literal fruits, mind you, but I refer rather to the-"

"-Professor!"

There was only one way to find out.

"Ahem, uh, yes, questions." Composing himself from the interruption with a stroke of his bushy moustache, Professor Port looked up from his reflection to see the eager hand waving in the third row. Having all but finished his story, he could hardly find fault with the enthusiastic interest. "What is it, Ms. Rose?"

"Yeah, um, this class is Grimm studies, isn't it?" Seeing the obvious answer about to leave the man's mouth, (doubtlessly along with a bunch of extraneous information) Ruby barreled forward with her question. "-What can you tell us about Tailed Grimm?"

"Grimm Tails? Ha, ha! Well, my young pupil, the creatures of Grimm have all kinds of tails! There's the waggly kind you find on canids like Beowulfs, the squiggly sort on porcine Boarbatusks, and I believe you are familiar with the incredibly deadly pokey kind on Deathstalkers-"

"-Erm, actually professor, I want to know about _**the**_ Tailed Grimm."

While still choosing to ignore the disruption, the exuberant man did not immediately reply. In that short introspection, he unknowingly said more than what would ever leave his furred lips.

"Ah, you want to know about Grimm _**Tales**_, ha, ha…" Chuckling reservedly at his own pun, not even Yang gave a titter in appreciation as she too was on the edge of her seat, probably for the first and only time in class. "If you want to know about myths, I'm afraid you'll have to wait for the third-year elective class taught by Professor Ooblek. Barty has always been far more interested in those cultural legends than myself. In this class, we deal with the cold, hard facts! Not some fanciful children's story about nine original Grimm being birthed from the moon like some giant chicken-egg!"

Ruby fell back in her seat as if slapped, flushed with disappointment and other, more resentful emotions that she chose to ignore at this easy dismissal. He was lying. The teacher who was supposed to prepare them for their future encounters in the harsh world was purposefully misleading them. They were now almost all sure of it.

Yet, he had given them more than they'd had before. The outlines of a legend and a place to start- Professor Bartholomew Ooblek was one of their other teachers. History, as opposed to the current oppressive reality. But even that told them something: that the fears which haunted them were not new.

"Now then! Back to the here and now, there are dozens of you who anxiously await the opportunity to prove yourselves true huntsmen such like myself! But what does this mean? Oh, there are those who believe a warrior needs to be well rounded in the arts- bah! A true Huntsman must be honorable! A true Huntsman must be dependable! A true Huntsman must be strategic, well-educated, and wise! Who amongst you think that they embody such stalwart qualities? Anyone? Ah! Yes, of course, Ms. Nikos! Everyone here has doubtlessly heard of your exploits and-"

"Excuse me, Professor," Lowering her hand cautiously, Pyrrha tried to eschew the eyes drifting her way. "How is anyone here supposed to represent the ideal huntsman or huntress? We are all students, simply hoping and trying to one day live up to the… standard that those like you have set."

"Ho! Skilled **and **humble! Not to mention a good eye for talent!" With the praise attracting even more blatant gazes, Pyrrha herself looked away and towards her captain who wasn't even paying attention anymore. "True, you youngsters still have a long way to go. But such traits have already begun to manifest themselves in your actions- not to mention insightful questions. Why don't you come down here, Ms. Nikos, and demonstrate the other talents you clearly possess?"

Pyrrha blanched at this worse-case scenario. The quiet encouragement given by her true comrades was vastly outweighed by the enthusiastic cheers of the other students who all wanted front-row seats to watch _the_ Pyrrha Nikos fight.

Except for Jaune, who still did nothing.

With resignation and no small amount of bitterness, Pyrrha knew she had no choice.

"Now, are you ready?"

Now, minutes later, she was geared up and fully armed, standing sturdy in front of the massive (man-sized?) cage which had been wheeled in from the side of the room. But ready? No, never again would she be so confident to say that she was ready for whatever lay behind those thick steel bars and thicker darkness behind. Glowing red eyes glared out at her from her nightmares, and the crowd's shouting sounded like the bloodthirsty jeers of her growing self-doubt.

For the first time- _ever_\- Pyrrha's hand trembled.

"Have at you!" With an ignorant flash, Port burst the lock.

Her body stepped aside to allow a spiraling projectile to sail past. The black and white ball smashed into some carelessly forsaken desks and stopped. Momentum halted, it unfurled itself into the familiar hunchbacked form of a Boarbatusk and shook out the impact. Stamping its hoof, it sniffed the air for the negative emotions which had driven it wild behind the bars and finally turned back around towards Pyrrha.

"Yeah! Nice dodge!"

"Get it, girl!"

"Woohoo! Beauty and the beast!"

"Go for the stomach!"

Staring back at the only other thing in that room which existed to her, Pyrrha was… disappointed. Loosing the irrational fear in an instant, she almost snorted along with the Grimm which then pawed the floor in anticipation. But such a contemptuous emotion would imply something other than what she felt right then.

What supplanted Fear in her, was none other than Anger.

This emotion even more enticing to the Grimm, it tossed its tusked head back in a bloodcurdling whine and then snapped it forward directly into a roll. Bone armor curling upon itself like an armadillo, it whirled along the wood floor at her.

It didn't make it even halfway.

Her thrown spear passed straight through the beast, armor or no. Pyrrha might have even applied some of her magnetic Semblance to make the ballistae fly faster than a bullet. But no one noticed and she wouldn't have been able to say either way.

At least the noise was gone. Both the student's annoying clamor and the niggling self-doubt in her head. They both disappeared along with the body of the Grimm, only careless destruction and her embedded spear remaining.

"Well done, well done!" Port praised not a split-second later, having been prepared to jump in in the unlikely event it was needed. "It seems we are in the presence of a _true _huntress. Quite an interesting tactic, I must say. A tad questionable, though, given that you separated yourself from your primary weapon. And forgive my presumptuousness, but it might have been better to listen to the advice of Ms. Rose and aim specifically for the unarmored stomach. No matter how confident you are in your skills, Ms. Nikos, we must remember that none of us are infallible nor immortal. What would have happened if you missed or your throw failed to penetrate?"

Most would have reacted poorly to this nitpicking. But as established, Pyrrha was not most. She bowed her head in gratefulness to the professor for his frank words. Still chagrinned, she would do her best to take this reality check and use it to figure out why she had reacted in that way. It was… disturbing, to say the least.

*Brrrriiiiing!*

Excusing herself with the bell, Pyrrha wandered over to where her weapon was emplaced in the wall and the overly ambitious Ruby was trying to remove it. Both the girl's hands were on the haft and both her feet were on the wall, straining with all her might to pull it free like some legendary weapon available only to the worthy.

"Here, let me."

Not giving her fellow huntress a chance to disengage, Pyrrha gripped the handle and unstuck it, allowing Ruby to slide off the end with a crash and a sympathetic wince.

"Sorry!"

"Sorry Pyrrha," Ruby popped up with one hand rubbing her head embarrassingly (or trying to hide the growing bump). "I was trying to give it back to you, but it was in there pretty deep, heh, heh."

Pyrrha acknowledged the girl's efforts with a smile and a nod. Also, admitting that it had been thoroughly stuck, but not telling anyone that she had needed to reverse the polarity to loose it.

"Eh, who are you kidding, Rubes? You just wanted to fondle Pyrrha's weapon!" Yang barged in on their little chat, thankfully before it had a chance to become awkward.

"Bwa?! N-no! I- well, not that it's not an incredible piece of machinery- but I would never-!"

Well, awkward in another way. This lighthearted discussion was fine, just so long as Pyrrha didn't have to talk about what had happened in the class.

Mercifully, Ruby's partner joined in and reminded them that they still had several other classes to get through before the day was over.

It would be a long day.

* * *

It turned out to be a long week as well, even if it was shorter than normal by a day. Forty-eight hours where nothing much happened, the boilerplate spiels being given by all the professors about the schedule for the year, safety, academic honesty, etc.

All except for the excitable Ooblek who hit the ground running (and the floor, and the walls, and the ceiling- wait, how did he even get up there?). Even in the first week, their end-of-term-papers were discussed (more like he talked at them while they struggled to get a word in edgewise). Then the previous year's material was reviewed, an activity which was mind numbing for all but one (and even Ruby had to admit that she learned most of it from Yang's homework lying around the house). Thankfully, it was all covered at hypo-sonic speed so that they wouldn't have to waste any more time. Though there still wasn't any left come Friday for their questions, a consequence which they couldn't help but feel was intentional.

Finally came the first weekend. And boy did they need it. One day-off was not enough to recover from their previous ordeal, not with the masses of thoughts it provoked. These questions occupied mental capacity otherwise used for their studies, brainpower they would no doubt need in order to survive the rest of the semester.

Of course, they had to survive the answers first.

"Erm, knock, knock, anyone in?"

Hearing no response from inside, Jaune pushed the door ajar and leaned tentatively into foreign territory. Having seven sisters taught a healthy respect for female privacy (but led him to expect none of his own). It was reasonable to assume that team RWBY leaving their door unlocked meant an open invitation, but it was also reasonable to assume he would be flayed alive if he was wrong.

"Hey, Ruby!"

Muted thrums allowed Jaune to skip over the room's surprising amount of disarray and be drawn directly to the headset-wearing girl. Even if he could hear the ominous death metal from the doorway, there was no way that his fellow captain could have heard him calling. Not only was she engrossed in the music, but fully mired with the drudgery of studies. Face constricted in constipation and with half her pencil already chewed away, Jaune figured it was math.

"Ruby!" He yelled, wishing he brought a pole because he really didn't want to startle the deadly little teen.

"Huh, Jaune?!" Through no fault of his own, Ruby happened to look over her shoulder and see him. "What are you doin-?! Oh, hang on!" Removing her headset before pausing the music on her Scroll, Jaune was treated to a concentrated blast of bass which hit him in the chest from across the room. "Sorry, my teammates were being noisy, and I needed to study. What's up?"

Blinking owlishly in the face of the 'noisy' comment, Jaune briefly forgot his purpose for coming.

"Er, not much. Uh, so, where is everybody?"

"Oh, Yang said something about going into town to get supplies she forgot, Weiss claimed she was 'sick of being cooped up', and Blake… I honestly don't know. I kind of stopped paying attention when I told my sis I needed to study, and she wouldn't shut up." Ruby confessed, looking around rather dazedly like she had no idea what room she was even in. "So, anyhoo… what about you? Where's your team?"

"M-my team…?" The follow-up sparked his memory, and Jaune was unable to believe he forgot. "Actually, they're-uh, they're waiting for me in the courtyard. Ya see, I said it might be a good idea if someone knew what we were do- where we were going, just, um, just in case…"

"In case what? Jaune, what's up?" Suspicious already because of the unexpected visit, the boy's clearly nervous behavior was rubbing off on Ruby. "Where are you going? If it's just into town…"

"The Emerald Forest," Jaune admitted with a sigh, knowing nothing else was necessary. "We're going into the Emerald forest, and I thought it would be a good idea if someone else knew. Someone we trusted. So that if we're not back by tomorrow, you can get Ozpin to send out a search party or whatever."

Jaune looked askance, ashamed that he couldn't tell the truth even when both knew it. There would be no search party if the worse came to pass. At best, a small recovery team for their remains- to make sure there were none left as evidence.

"I'm going with you."

"N-no!" Whipping back to face the girl, Ruby had already abandoned her scribbled work and was rummaging around the mess for something. "Ruby, you don't have to-"

"Sure I do. Just give me five minutes to get my stuff and get changed into my combat outfit."

"Ruby," Though not as deafeningly loud as the girl's tunes, the heaviness of Jaune's voice struck her just as hard. "No. Thanks for the offer, but please, we need you here. It's stupid to put all your best pieces into danger, right? If something does go wrong- not that I think it will- but if it does, I wanna know that you're watching our back."

"Jaune…" Not bothering to hide her opinion, it was split between a crooked dubiousness and a lip-biting concern for her friend and comrade.

"And please, Ruby, don't take this the wrong way, but this is something we decided to do as a team because there's something specific we need to know. Just the four of us. Even as the captain, I had to fight hard to inform you where we're headed. I can't betray their trust by telling you more than that."

Relenting with a dramatic slumping of her shoulders, Ruby knew she couldn't argue the point any more even if she'd had the will to.

"Alright Jaune. Be back here by noon tomorrow, or I'll tell Ozpin."

"Thanks Ruby, I owe you big on this." Giving her a thumbs up and seeing that she still wasn't satisfied, he turned the hand on its side for a fist-bump. "I promise that we'll let you know if we find anything else out, alright?"

"Just… be careful, okay?"

"You got it."

Deal sealed with a tap, Ruby was surprised just how fast Jaune then got out of their room. It must have been his team who was waiting for him just outside their window. Nothing to do with her sister's panties strewn about the room. Nope. Not at all.

Unable to go back to her work, Ruby watched as the team of four merrily walked away, as if they were merely going for a morning stroll. The detail that they were armed to the teeth disappeared quickly, along with their colorful clothing moments after they entered those primordial woods.

They were gone, and Ruby was still unable to return to her work.

"Ooooooh… I'm going to regret this. I just know I am."

* * *

Jaune gulped heavily as the light was swallowed up by the canopy like a black bag being pulled over his head. In that sack, the birds and their songs sounded muted like the music outside Ruby's headsets. Had it always been this dark in the forest, or was it just this part? The trail they walked was the freshest, yet still looked untrod by humans for the past few years, at least.

Key word being humans.

"Pyrrha, do you remember that feeling I had back during the exam, in the cave?"

"Nervousness?" His partner guessed absently, not really paying attention to him but their surroundings. The huntress in her found something amiss but was unable to place it.

"No."

Hearing the quaver in his voice, Pyrrha gave an honest thought back to that time before everything changed.

"Soul-crushing regret?"

"That's the one."

"No time for that!" Blindsiding her captain with this declaration, Nora gave Jaune a hearty smack on the back to urge him onward like a horse. "We have a knight-errant to find! Heeya!"

"We have all the time we need." Ren chimed in and grabbed a hold of Nora's reigns before she could run off. "First though, we need to _find_ him. We're still quite a distance from where we encountered the Five-Tails. And so far, I have seen no fresh tracks or signs of combat."

"You're saying that like it's a bad thing." Now that he was here, Jaune was rethinking the wisdom of circumventing their headmaster. He would have felt a lot more confident with Ozpin between them and the Grimm-Man.

"There's no reason to assume the worst." As rational as always- trying to be, but Ren was acutely aware of the long hairs on the back of his neck standing straight. "Nothing has gone wrong yet. And as long as we keep our wits, nothing should."

"Gah! Ren, how could you say such a thing?! Now you've jinxed us!"

Jaune resisted a groan at this superstitious indiscretion. Principally, holding his tongue because he thought he heard something at the tail-end of Nora's dismay. A snap of a branch, perhaps? A creature watching them from the bushes?

Then there was the voice, not even bothering to conceal itself, which made everything moot.

"**You're assuming that things had a chance of going right in the first place." **

They all stopped dead. Fear, or perhaps rationalization, prevented most of them from dropping into fighting stances. They were not in fact dead, and that was a good sign.

"Still having your little fun?" The only exception as usual was Pyrrha, who confronted the voice with an unamused stare. "How long have you been stalking us?"

"**Me? You are the ones skulking about my woods. Is it so hard to believe that coincidence brought you here?"** He asked back airily, not looking down from where he lounged upon one of the few branches massive enough to support his weight. In truth, the hardest thing to believe about the whole situation was what he was doing. Weaving while he reclined, the skeleton of a bamboo hat turned impossibly delicate in his claws. Between slaying uncountable amounts of Grimm, he'd apparently had time to learn fineness. **"Though I suppose that in the end, you had a purpose in coming. Well? Spit it out."**

"What can you tell us about the Tailed Beasts?"

Pyrrha joined her friends in silence as they all held their breath. It was involuntary as the hat in his hands stopped turning and it felt like the world did as well.

"**Everything."** A manic smile tore open the impermeable canopy and bathed them in crimson light as he turned to them. **"I can tell you where they come from, how many, their unique powers, what they really are- **_**who **_**they are…" **

Abandoning his hat to one of his tails, he leapt down and landed just as fluidly as a leaf making nary a sound. Suddenly the possibility that he had snuck up and had been watching them for a long time became very real.

"… **Of course, all this comes at a price…"**

"-How about _where_ they are?"

Taken aback more visibly, the creature quit stalking towards them and parsed through the ambiguity of the question. Turning to Ren, he eyed the tall boy as the green bean he was, willing to take a bite if it meant just deserts.

"**I have killed some, eaten their souls as you saw me do. And so those and their power reside with me now." **

"And," Ren wetted his mouth, not bothering to hide his nervousness and simply trying to get the words out. "What if we could tell you where another one is?"

"**Then…" **He moved suddenly at the same time Ren knew he couldn't, entrapped by those eyes which were like red sap from Forever Fall. **"You **_**will **_**tell me."**

"That information comes at a price!"

Just as the facts were about to spill from his lips, Ren found himself released and allowed to breath, to think normally again. It wouldn't have worked but for the way the Grimm-Man changed his gaze to one of pure vitriol when looking at Jaune as the boy threw his own words back at him.

"**The fee is that I let you live!" **

"You can't kill us." Jaune said without actually believing it. "You said yourself that Ozpin wants you to keep us alive."

"**That was then," **Abandoning Ren, the beast moved with all the deliberateness of death towards Jaune, not needing to use any tricks on him because Jaune was petrified as it was. **"-This is now, and you left Ozpin's protection to come willingly into my home! The only thing of value you have to me, boy, is to never show your face again. That is the deal, the condition for your teammates to have an audience with me.**

"**And no, I don't have to kill you. I can **_**make **_**you march out of here on your own little, quavering feet. But I'm asking **_**nicely. **_**If you're so eager to find out what else I can do, I can break you and leave you at Ozpin's doorstep instead."**

It was impossible for Jaune to become any more frightened than he already was. It was impossible for him to _do_ anything. However, he was already his team's captain. Which meant above all, he couldn't run away.

"N-no, I-I'm not abandoning my comrades to you!"

There was a flash in the eyes staring at him, a moment in which Jaune truly believed he was dead, his heart stopped, his body consumed by hatred and spite and whatever else composed this vile creature.

But then it blinked. He, the Four-Tailed Man-Grimm, shut his eyes and heaved a long, drawn-out breath.

"**This is not a lesson in cowardice. This is not about growing a pair and it's definitely not a test," **Opening his ruby red eyes again, the reflections in them were no longer random fractures but facets of a gem concentrating his intense stare into a laser beam. **"This is, however, your last warning." **

"N-!"

"It's alright, Jaune." Able to lead her captain away and step between the two, Pyrrha met that strange new gaze for as long as it took to recognize its novelty. Then she turned back to her partner. "Jaune, I think you should go. I know you're our captain, but I don't want you to feel like you're abandoning us. You've got us this far, and I think it was the right choice. So now, please, we need you to do so again."

The mirror image of his tormentor, it was just as impossible for Jaune to resist his partner's heartfelt request. It would have been impossible even if he hadn't noticed the parallels between her speech and the one he gave Ruby hours earlier.

"…Okay."

All four of them watched as Jaune traced the parted grass back whence they came, shuffling brail against the ground as he refused to look at anything. While they should have felt more anxious with one less number on their side, the remnants of team JNPR had to admit that Jaune's presence wouldn't have had any benefit. And truth be told, their 'host' seemed calmer, if not more amenable.

"**Now, where were we…"** The smirk he now leveled at them was only marginally better than the Cheshire grin, but they would take what they could get. **"Ah yes, you made the questionable decision of avoiding your protector in order to strike a more favorable deal. Risky, but I like the gumption. So, you tell me where I might find another Tailed Beast, and in return…" **

"I want you to kill it." Ren finished with an amount of acerbity that none had guessed the boy capable of. It was like he was feeding off the menace in front of him, but even the Grimm seemed surprised.

"**Bwahahaha!" **Then he threw his head back and laughed uproariously. If there had been any birds foolish enough to wander into those cursed woods, they would have fled immediately upon that accursed sound- as the students _really _should have. **"What else do you think I would do with it? Invite him to tea-time with Oz? Ha! I guess the blondie really was the brains, at least he knew to get something in exchange-" **

"-That's not all!" The singular goal he'd held for nearly a decade was consuming Ren, eating away at his carefully cultivate rational. It was such that he didn't notice the change in the way the Beast spoke about their captain compared to when he was present. There was no longer any enmity from the Grimm, so it was up to the normally calm Ren to make up the difference. "I- You will take us with you! We want to see it."

"**No." **Flat out, no hesitation and no more humor. **"One: Ozpin wouldn't cover for me, even if you somehow survive. And two: you lot got in my way last time, and that was just with the Five-Tails playing around. Any of the others won't be so easy going. I might have to go all out too, and you would definitely be caught in the crossfire." **

As personalities switched and Ren realized he was the one speaking nonsense, he deflated. Head hung, he looked in on himself and realized that he probably understood the futility of that request from the beginning. He remembered suspecting that the Five-Tails had been holding back, because the Four-Tails flattened his home all those years ago without even trying.

"Then-then, we want proof!" Sneaking in under her collapsing friend, Nora came to stand by him and prop him up. "We want to know its dead and that you made it pay!"

"**You want proof?" **He asked with a raise of a non-existent eyebrow and a twitch of the ears he hadn't had before. Behind him, the four tails swished playfully as if unaware what their master was talking about but eager to be involved. **"Sorry, but I'm keeping the tail. I wouldn't mind bringing you back a trophy to mount but-"**

"Take this." Arising from his gloom, Ren drew a simple curved dagger from the fold of his forest-green shirt and proffered it to the Man-Grimm. "There won't be a whole lot there for you to bring back, anyway. So, take this as payment. And in return… in return I want you to bury our parents. Give them a proper funeral, since we can't go ourselves."

The dagger was plebian, of village craftmanship trying to be fancy. It was like taking a country bumpkin and putting him in a royal gown. And now that gilded simpleton was in front of the grand inquisitor whose own armory of blades in glittering splendor made the offering seem all the smaller and more insignificant. But the Grimm-Man reached for it with those armored claws which could somehow be as delicate as a scalpel.

"**-I don't need your trinket." **The Beast suddenly huffed as he pulled back before the exchange could be made. Folding his hands so they didn't wander, he turned his back on them so all they could see were the four black tails like serpents swaying petulantly. **"And besides, do I look like a gravedigger? -Before you answer that question, keep in mind that I didn't appreciate Goodwitch trying to pigeonhole me either."**

"Please," No longer so afraid as desperate, both Ren and Nora took a step towards the mulish monster. "The Four-Tails took everything from us! We don't need revenge or a do-over or an explanation, all we need is an end."

Nothing outwardly moved the man, no change in posture to indicate he even remembered they were there. Nothing except the tails which ground to a halt, stilled until they floated there like stalks of wheat after a gust of wind.

"**Son Goku."**

"Huh?" They did not recognize the foreign response, either for what it was, or even who said it. Without the black gums flapping and razorback teeth snapping at them, it was as if it came from a god on high rather than the demon in front of them.

"**The Four-Tails. The one who destroyed your home. His name, is Son Goku." **Laboriously turning back around, he still kept his eyes closed as if in reverence. **"He has wronged you, taken what was yours. I give you his name so that you know who to be angry at. And in return, you release your claim." **

"What? No!" Ren, who was still processing what he had been told, was unable to stop Nora from engaging in her own deliberations. "You can't just say two words and call it good! That thing destroyed our home, took our parents! Why should I care about a Dragonball Z extra when there's a son right here that's missing his father and moth-"

"**Impudence!"** The rage returned in a wave, a hot wind that set the field of wheat on fire and burned everything in its path as it ran across the plains. **"Just because you apes hand it out willy-nilly doesn't negate its importance! When you have nothing else but your name, it becomes the most valuable thing you possess. And the simple act of naming something changes its nature, to merely utter a single name can bring either hope or despair."**

While they were not logically satisfied by this rebuttal, all three of the students were unwittingly taking this impromptu speech to heart and would parse on it later.

Ignorance corrected, the Grimm did not hold onto his anger long. Looking like he had been carrying on this conversation for too much time already, he sat down in front of them with a massive sigh that extinguished the fire and blew the stalks the other way.

"**You don't have to worry about me killing the Four-Tails. Son Goku is mine, and I will take care of him. But get this straight: I'm not your avenging angel and I'm certainly not your errand boy. You want me to do you a favor, well, I'm'a need something in return." **

"We'll tell you where-"

"**I already know,"** Sneering at the students' surprise, the Grimm resumed dominance and his usual games. **"Enough, anyway. You two are from Mistral. I may not know the name of the town, but it shouldn't be too hard to look up settlements that have gone defunct in the last- say, decade or so? A few are probably the results of bandits or your run of the mill Grimm, but those can be weeded out easily enough… Or did you think me too simple a creature that I didn't know how to use a map?"**

His smile only broadened as their hopes fell, the realization that they had let their only bargaining chip slip through their fingers prompting both Ren and Nora to clench their fists all the tighter.

"**So, since you've nothing else, I take it we're done here. Such **_**promising**_** students like yourselves should know how to find your way back-"**

"What would you need?" Having come this far with her teammates and letting them lead the crusade, Pyrrha wasn't going to just stand idle while they were being routed. "In exchange for giving Ren and Nora's hometown a proper burial, what can we give you that you would want?"

Rage or pleasure, both ends of the spectrum in the being before them were a danger for the hapless teens. Giddy at this offer, the Monster stood from his ungainly squat and summoned the inner earth to rise with him. The eternal flame rekindled at the forefront of his eyes at the same time his tails seemed to unlock the gates of hell behind. He held out a single claw to the three of them, expecting to be given his tithe.

"**How about… **_**your souls?!"**_

Frozen despite the palpable heat behind his gaze, the students could summon no confirmation or denial to this bargain. And each second that the deliberations weighed, the scale began tipping in favor…

***Snrk* **

A guttural, wet sound doused the fire enough for the students to understand that it had been a snort. The flames sputtered along with the demon as he descended into another batch of chortles that were decidedly unmenacing.

"**Yare, yare, when you're not being killjoys, you guys are almost too easy. Come on, what would I do with your souls?"**

"Um, eat them?" Nora answered with frank, wide eyes.

"**Meh, not enough meat to even be an appetizer. Besides, human leaves a bad taste in my mouth." **Waving off this concern like he was listing allergies, he hummed a note in consideration that rattled their bones. **"Hmm… honestly not much you have that I would want. But I sympathize with you a little bit, so I'll offer an even trade: a favor for a favor."**

Though they were at last getting somewhere, now it was the three burgeoning hunters' turn to delay as they wavered in their decision. Just what might this favor entail? In the back, Pyrrha couldn't help but be reminded of the unsolicited advice she had been given before, about not making deals with demons. However…

"We'll do it." Two surprised and one merely curious look turned to her. "A favor for a favor, and I'll be the one to pay it in full."

There was that feeling again. Déjà vu on the other side, where words filled her lips and tasted like they had been used before by someone else. And unlike the last time, Pyrrha could see the corresponding spark in the crimson eyes watching her, like the twinkling of a distant star on the horizon, one where there was life trying to answer her back.

"Pyrrha- no!" "You can't!" Both Ren and Nora pleaded, not understanding their new teammate enough to know why she would make such an offer. "This is our issue; any condition should be met by the two of us."

"But there are two of you, and only one favor needed." With the grace of the Muses, Pyrrha smiled at her comrades who had unknowingly chained themselves together with their hands. "It wouldn't be a fair deal. Either with both of you being bound to it, or one of you."

The two affected friends looked at one another, noticed their intertwined hands and gripped them all the harder. While they turned back to their third wheel, both Ren and Nora were impervious to the almost painful heat radiating between them.

"**And what makes you think I would accept it?" **And unmoved by the innocent intimacy- perhaps even contemptuous of it- the demon ignored the prostrate boy and girl in front of him and looked at the redhead goddess presiding over them. **"You're already in the red, Red. You owe me. Do you really think it wise to dig yourself deeper into debt? Furthermore, why would you go to such lengths for people you barely met a week ago?" **

"I don't have nearly enough experience to say whether or not it is wise," Keeping a straight face, Pyrrha answered even as the Man-Grimm leaned in with genuine curiosity for her response. "But even if I am wrong, my reasons are right. It's true that we've only known each other for a handful of days, and it's also true that I don't know much about having… friends. But… that's why I consider them precious. Because they have all stood by me longer than anyone else I know. We're friends and comrades who've been through hell together, and there's nothing I wouldn't do to protect them."

Letting the speech develop naturally as she went, Pyrrha discovered her own reasons for things. It was why she sent Jaune away, and why she would continue to help the crafty yet misguided boy for as long as she could. It was also why she fought so hard, to gain acceptance from others, but also to understand the person she was fighting. Maybe… maybe the reason she felt such animosity towards this powerful being was simply because she did not understand him?

"**Hmph." **Looking at her half-lidded like he already comprehended everything about her and was bored with it, he breathed a sound of amusement which ruffled all their hair in a sulfurous breeze. **"Fine. If that's what you want, I'll accept your debt. So long as you remember that I own you now, Girl." **

"Pyrrha." She proclaimed, looking him dead in the eyes and not flinching as something inside those glass orbs broke- or perhaps mended- a tiny change was all she could tell in that split-second. "My name is Pyrrha Nikos."

And she remained unmoved as he smiled toothily at this declaration, pleasure coursing through him and wagging his tails in delight. He was inordinately content with her response, even though she was sure he already knew her name and backstory as well. The reaction was an odd contrast, and one she acknowledged as a definite vulnerability. For as crafty and nefarious as he portrayed, she discovered he had a hard time hiding his real emotions.

"**Well then, Pyrrha. I suppose I shall be seeing you and your… friends around more often." **

With one last fleering smile, he turned around and picked up the unfinished hat which rested unconcernedly at the base of the large tree. It sat propped next to his folded robe which he then threw over his shoulders, wrapping it around his armored body and tucking his four now well-behaved tails under the voluminous material. Folds hid black flesh and the sleeves fell over his razorblade claws.

"Wait, are you leaving right now?" Nora asked, being one of the few who seemed to understand the mundane actions.

"**Why not? It's not like I have a whole lot to pack."**

"But- we haven't told you where to go!" It was all so sudden. The anger Ren had kept as a memento all these years was suddenly being resolved. Curse broken, he had no idea what to do with his freedom. "And it's been ten years, how do you know the Four-Tails will even still be there?"

"**Son's a prideful monkey," **He answered while fumbling with a simple cloth belt, clearly unused to actions which were simple for humans. Like conversation. **"He'll not go far from his 'territory'. And besides… he **_**wants **_**me to find him." **Another smile that wasn't necessarily directed at them still gave them chills.

"And… when can we expect the 'deed' to be done?" Pyrrha questioned as she saw him frown at his unfinished piece.

"**Give me a week." **

"A week?"

"**Yes," **Ren withered and vowed to be more careful with the tone of his questions after the scowl sent his way. **"I may be fast, but I can't run across water." **Not anymore, at least. Or not yet. **"And it's not like I can just book a cruise. It will take me roughly 2 ½ to 3 days to travel to and from your hometown by land. Then give or take another day or two for business, I would expect to be back here by next Sunday at the latest." **Waffling his head, he thought of something else to add. **"Plus, if I'm gone any longer than that, all those baby Grimm would repopulate the forest and I'd have Ozpin on my ass. You won't tell him I'm gone, of course?" **

"Hang on, didn't you kick out all the Grimm from here to Mountain Glenn?" Slight disappointment leaking into Nora's voice as she was made to doubt the stories of his exploits.

"**Sure I did. But don't you know?" **Smiling mainly to himself, he plucked another few strands from a green bushel and wove them into the gaps in his crown. **"Hatred breeds more hatred."**

"Then… we will return to this spot at that time?" Ren asked, receiving only a grunt as the disguised Grimm tried to seat the incomplete hat on his head, wrangling ears under the rough-hew straw. "Ah- and the name of the village, of our home is- was, Kuroyuri."

The sudden freneticism was just as quickly washed away, replaced by the halcyon stillness of a lake in winter. Ren himself shuddered as it felt like his own calming Semblance was leveraged against him.

"**Black lily, huh?" **He chuckled as softly and as dark as the namesake. **"What did that represent again? Love, or a curse… perhaps both. Ironic, or a coincidence…?"**

"You know the ancient Mistralian language?" Curiosity peaked at this, Ren made sure he asked with more caution than skepticism.

"**Of course," **Simply huffing as he resumed his track, **"Where do you think the term Jinchῡriki comes from? Although, I suppose that might be Ozpin's little joke as well…" **

"Wait," Delayed yet again, the Monster on a mission would have sighed except that he was now responsible for Pyrrha's voice. "You say that names are sacred things, so I won't bother asking for your real one… but what should we call you?"

It was always surprising to the students that this almighty demon could be surprised. But there was no mistaking the pause and slight falter in his careful movements.

And the fact that his movements were careful said something. Unlike his clear-cut destruction, a preconceived plan existed for all the actions both delicate and mundane. So that when interrupted, it was like he had to relearn how to exist in that cumbersome body.

"**Jin's fine." **His boney lips mangled the reply. Although he did not turn to face them, he was not doing a good job of hiding his unbalance. **"Not exactly original, but I appreciate the humor in it." **

"Very well, Sir Jin!" Piping up with her normal animation for the first time in a long while, Nora stood straight and proud as she bid the beast farewell. "Ride well, fair steed! We shall await your safe return unto the Queendom!"

In all solemnity the royally cloaked Grimm turned around and doffed his hat, bowing so that he was almost as low as the short girl herself.

"**My liege," **

White teeth flashed in a brilliant smile, and he disappeared into the darkness.

* * *

Sitting still was unnatural for the energetic girl, but Ruby was afraid to even flex a finger as she spied through the dense foliage. Any slight shift might give her away, and for the first time ever she cursed her brilliant choice in clothing- silently, of course. It was hard enough to make out words from where she was hiding in the trees. That, and the pointed lack of other animals made every other sound more noticeable. Her own heartbeat sounded like the drum set from her favorite band's latest album.

That's why she held in her gasp when her four-tailed target disappeared from her line of sight. And she kept holding her breath when it felt like something else swayed the sturdy limb she was on. After a few seconds of total motionless, she wondered if she truly sensed anything, or if it was all in her head.

Maybe it was just the intense feeling of foreboding. Anticipation breathing down her neck and licking her ear with a slobbery, rough tongue like a mutt- or hellhound, rather, as it smelt of charcoal and burnt-

Oh Dog, there was really something behind her, wasn't there?

"**Boo."**

"Eep!"

Even as he was almost bowled off the branch by the girl's hasty egress, the officially dubbed Jin chuckled at the response he spawned. He watched, slightly impressed, as Ruby ran away almost as fast as he could chase her down. Not bothering, he instead marveled at the human-shaped hole in the canopy through which he might see all the way to Beacon.

"**Maa, maa, too easy…" **

* * *

"You did WHAT?!"

Doing their best to shush their leader, the three returned members of team JNPR all tried to clamp hands on his loose lips. But they just got in each other's ways and Jaune was allowed to run free his mouth.

"No, no, no, this can't be happening… this whole thing is a bad dream… I'm in a coma after landing on my head in the forest… this is just a huge prank that-"

"It's not a joke, nor a misunderstanding nor a dream," With the long walk back to Beacon in which to restore his reasoning, Ren practiced his patience by going through the list as Jaune spat it out. "Believe me, we tried. Nora's pinches hurt."

"Aw, you big baby." Giving her partner a friendly check on the arm, it was no harder or softer than usual, but both reacted differently to the contact.

Something that was missed by Jaune as he continued to fervently pace their small dorm room.

"It was just supposed to be a simple information exchange! Ooh, I _knew _I shouldn't have left…"

"We never would have gotten anywhere if you hadn't." Pyrrha reasoned apologetically.

"Maybe, Jaune admitted. "But maybe that would have been a good thing! What could possibly have been worth being at that guy's beck and call?!"

"Our family's burial." Ren stated with an affectionate hand on his shoulder to steady him.

"…Right." Unable to say anything to this without sounding like an ass- like _more_ of an ass, Jaune finally acknowledged how worked up he was getting and the reason why. He hadn't been there, even though he should have. "Sorry, I know I have no right to criticize, considering I'm all but useless." Before it could get awkward with his team either having to agree or remain silent on the matter, Jaune continued.

"But I don't think you guys realize how serious this is. You made a literal deal with a devil."

"At the risk of sounding naïve, I do not think he is as bad as all that." Perhaps she was making the argument more for her own peace of mind, but Pyrrha did have a modicum of hope that this was the truth. "He is not crazy, nor is he truly unreasonable. We can be reasonably certain that he doesn't… feed on humans or Faunus. We call him a Grimm because of what he looks like, but do we truly understand what Grimm are? Let alone what he is?"

"Exactly!" Jaune declared with both arms. "We have no idea what he is or what he's capable of! What we've seen so far doesn't paint a pretty picture though. With Ozpin's word, we know he can mess around with our minds, probably with those creepy eyes of his. And you heard him today, he can _make_ me walk away- what else can he make us do? What can he make us think? If he wants us to be spies, would we even know we're doing it? Even if he's as 'reasonable' as you claim, he's got at least two favors on you, Pyrrha. All he needs is one to ask you to do something unreasonable, like, murder your team for example!"

The moment she opened her mouth to claim that she could never be coerced to do such a thing, Pyrrha realized that she didn't know that. Bartering required two items of equal value, but she'd written him a blank check to do with her what he wanted. And as Jaune said, with those eyes, he might not need his immense strength to _force _her.

But, didn't this logic apply to all of them? If their hopes hinged upon a deal made in good faith, perhaps, just maybe, he wouldn't ask for anything too extreme. Although, that definition might not mean the same thing to both parties, as they'd discovered with the name issue.

And that left the question, what did he want with _her_?

"Not to dismiss this issue, I believe it would be best to shelve it for now and focus on what we _do _know." With all his own assurances met, Ren was now freed to focus on the ones who would pay the price in his stead. "Whether or not we trust him, I believe he gave us a good deal of truthful information, either unintentionally or perhaps so that we come back seeking more."

Jaune made a tired motion for Ren to continue, trying to gather his strength to pay attention.

"Well… he gave us one of the Tailed-Beast's names."

"He gave us the fact that they _have_ names." Pyrrha chimed in, all too eager to forget her own situation. "And from the way he said it along with the name itself, it doesn't seem like titles given to them. Rather, something he uses to identify them."

"Or possibly, something they used to identify themselves." Making the outlandish suggestion, Ren immediately dismissed it as preposterous. "He was right though, names are powerful. It let's us know they're unique. The way he immediately knew which Beast I was talking about when I said 'Four-Tails' suggests that there's only one of each."

"And one of him." Jaune grumbled, looking particularly miserable.

"Right. And he's somehow connected to all of them- however many there are."

"Probably less than a dozen," Nora stated glibly. "I mean, think about it. At some point it would just get kind of ridiculous. Could you imagine a Twenty-Tails? Hundred-Tails?"

"I'd really rather not, thanks."

"Pfft." Blowing her captain a raspberry, Nora went back to her original point. "Oh, and since the Four-Tails is a monkey, that's like a Beringel, right? Maybe the others are just supersized regular-Grimm!"

"Then what was the Five-Tails?" Nora's companion argued. "Besides, rather than be based off Grimm, I think Grimm would be based off them. After all, we have Port's marginally helpful information on their legend which has them being the origin for all Grimm. Although, these things do tend to change with time…"

"And they must have something to do with old Mistral because he knew the language." Pyrrha realized, chewing the scant few words they'd been given. "I wonder what 'Jinchῡriki' means?"

"And what's so funny about it!" Nora chimed, really wanting to know the inside joke waved in front of her face.

"That, we should be able to ask Ozpin about," Ren mumbled, wracking his brain for all the little details of their short conversation which nonetheless felt like it was lasting a lifetime with the way they were talking about it well into the evening.

"I'll do it." Jaune volunteered. "It's the least I can do, apparently, given that he seems to have it out for me."

"That's actually something else to note." Scrunching his sleek face in concentration, Ren placed a finger on his chin and absorbed everything about their captain. "He seemed more against your presence- or perhaps simply appearance, then he did to your person. Back on the cliff, it might have seemed like he was picking on you- well, he was, but it got you to stay, didn't it? That's a clear change, and the only physical difference between then and today was Ozpin's absence. Maybe it's too superficial a connection. However, it's all but certain that Ozpin knows more than he's willingly given us so far. But I doubt it would hurt to ask him, especially since you _didn't _deal with Jin like we did."

"… Jin?" Jaune asked after a minute of mulling over Ren's words.

"His name." Pyrrha supplied. "What he's allowing us to call him, anyway."

"Isn't that what Ruby called him before?" Scratching his head at the memory of his fellow team captain, Jaune realized that he hadn't told the girl they were back. "Oh- shoot, hang on guys, I just remembered that I-"

*KNOCK, KNOCK*

Speaking of the devil- it turned out to be Ruby herself knocking at their door. When Jaune answered it, she was looking chagrinned for knocking so loud. At least, that's how Jaune interpreted her skittishness after he invited her in, Ruby's sharp silver eyes darting around the room in a paranoid fashion which could have been excused as social anxiety.

"Um, hey guys. So… I see you're all okay?" More of a question than a statement because of the agitated air she encountered in the room, along with the anxiousness Ruby herself swept in. "Did-err, did you… do what you needed to?"

Not having actually answered this question themselves, team JNPR looked amongst themselves while Ruby stood, rubbing her arm impatiently and not-so-subtly casing the exits, as if something would sneak up on them any second.

"Well," There had been some satisfaction for Ren and Nora. But the final word on whether it was worth it belonged to Pyrrha, who spoke up after a while of silent deliberation. "We found out he can be reasoned with."

"That's good," Ruby nodded at her friend before flinching at an unknown pain this brought her. "-I think."

They hoped so too.

* * *

"So, how is your little 'plan' shaping up?"

Not needing to look up from his screen to hear the quotation marks around the term, Ozpin hummed as he considered how best to answer his prickly professor.

"Hm, not as good as I'd hoped." The headmaster flicked his attention to the other half of the partitioned screen where the rest of team RWBY were just reentering their dorm to find their captain missing. Then he looked back to the first window and the dorm next door, carefully studying the students' body language before he bothered listening to the audio recordings. "But, not as bad as I'd expected. It seems they all made it back alive, at least."

"Don't _ever _joke about the lives of students, Ozpin." Glynda clearly did not appreciate his dry humor. "The moment you start doing that, I start considering just which side I'm working for."

"You're right. I apologize." Showing his commitment to this, Ozpin shut down the computer and sat back in his seat to give the woman and the issue she raised his full attention. "Grim humor is not something we should be instilling in our students. Nor is it something I should use as a crutch. I have led a long, hard, but ultimately fulfilling life, and have no reason to be so pessimistic."

"Just don't forget that you have to _live _with the consequences of your actions, then."

"I won't," Looking out the window, he tried to catch a glimpse of his tenant, but could not see the forest through the trees. "Believe me, I have never forgotten."

"Then… I just hope it has been worth it." Unable to comprehend things on the same level as a man who had lived unfathomable amounts of time, Glynda resigned herself to the fact that their mundane logic wouldn't always apply to Ozpin.

"This time… yes, I do believe it has." Pulling up the recording of team JNPR's dorms on the hologram above his desk, Ozpin resumed watching the silent movie where he left off. Others, which probably even included the stalwart general Ironwood, might find his methods unethical. But if he was ever caught, Ozpin would just point out the contract all their students had agreed to without reading the fine print. "They went to Him first, which means that they probably don't trust me as much as before. That's fine. I'd rather not get in their way if they're able to establish a relationship. I'll simply provide help where I can. And I'd like you to do the same, Glynda. Just be open with them if they come to you with questions."

"What about Jaune?" Glynda asked, pointedly ignoring the fact that Ozpin had hinted she knew nothing of importance regarding their 'guest'. "'Jin' clearly didn't want anything to do with him."

"Jaune coaxed a reaction out of him," Ozpin countered, hands folded and concentrating on the image of the boy. "Good or bad. Our man treated him differently, which is good enough to confirm things to me."

"What things?"

The headmaster's silence only reaffirmed to her that he possessed secrets she was not privy to. Part of Glynda wanted to be offended, but the smart woman reminded herself that there was no way she could ever know everything Ozpin did. And, that the man was due his privacy as much as anyone else.

A beeping from her scroll reminded her of her own business. One of Beacon's perimeter sensors around the Emerald Forest picked up something. These were the special sensors they'd geared to read within a window of 1-5 nanoseconds of motion. It was impossible to tell at that rate which way the object was traveling, and it was such a specific signal that it was useless but for one purpose.

"He's left." Figuring out which branch of the array was triggered, Glynda calculated several possible courses their Jinchῡriki might take. Although, she knew it was just as likely that _he_ knew they were watching, and was trying to throw them off his trail. "Should I send Qrow out to follow him?"

"No, he'll smell the man from farther away than if we were to send a drone." The satisfied smile and half-lidded stare did not leave the headmaster at this news, and he continued to stare at the nonsensical conversation playing out on screen. "Just keep an eye on the news for anything we might need to suppress. Since he's trying to sneak past my other surveillance, chances are he won't cause a catastrophe anywhere that might be… missed."

"Of course."

Glynda rolled her eyes and shut off the alarm, then glancing at the image of Jaune and wondered just what it was about that boy Ozpin wanted so badly. Knowing that she wouldn't understand unless she was told, the deputy headmaster left.

"It _is _you."

Alone, Ozpin whispered this affirmation to himself. Not alone, he spoke to the ghosts which lingered in that office of his other reincarnations who'd died without finding satisfaction. Staring at the awkward blond boy, but in reality, looking past the hologram and the superficial similarities to the person who had been hiding from him in plain sight for several millennia.

"The question is, just _who are_ you, my son?"


	5. Switch Bitch

**Bleh! What a week! Wait- it's not over?! **

**Welp, that's it. I'm done. -With the chapter, at least. Thanks once again to all those that reviewed. You guys seriously rock and I'm genuine when I say that it helps me get through the low points. You all deserve a pizza party, or at the very least, a personal message. But being realistic, the way I am right now, you might need to remind me. Just toss a brick through my window or something. ****I'll just continue to work over here. Don't worry, I've got a helmet on. **

**はじましょう！**

* * *

"_No, Naruto!" _

_He knew that voice and would always know it, no matter how many lifetimes they were separated. What he didn't recognize was the man now standing in front of him, the one taking his place in the Death God's jaws. The actions of his friend and rival were unknown and frightening in the eyes of his resolution._

"_Sasuke… why?!"_

_Turning back to him, this man who was his brother in everything but blood was… crying. The Uchiha pariah was doing things he'd vowed never to do, never shedding a tear after the massacre of his entire clan. Never protecting his idiot __**friend**__ again. _

"_You still don't get it… Dobe."_

_He didn't… until he did. The tears of blood which ran from Sasuke Uchiha's eternal eyes weren't for himself. They were for Naruto. For what he was about to do would be the same thing Sasuke's own brother did to him. Taking away the last family he had left. _

_Taking the page from history, so that it might never be repeated._

"_Madara is right. This responsibility is ours." A duty Naruto was excluded from. Barely clinging to life, the extra body of Obito Uchiha hung limply off Sasuke's shoulder, unwitting accomplice to the end. "Only when the last of our breed is gone and our battlefield buried can the world rise again. It means nothing to sacrifice a loser like you… but you're the perfect choice to make something new once we're gone." _

_Losers and winners meant nothing to the Shinigami who would reign eternal long after such distinctions were meaningless. It was now being offered two souls for the price of one and had no reason to complain. No matter how cloyingly sweet the tragic hero's soul tasted, the last of the bloody Uchiha were an indulgence it could not pass up. _

"_No, Sasuke! You can't!" _

_Unflinching even when the god of death plunged its purple paw into his stomach, Sasuke could not remain unmoved at the plea from his only friend. _

"_I can. And I must in order to stop this cycle of hatred. But… I'm sorry to leave you with the hard part, Naruto." Another impossibility as Sasuke smiled; he knew he was asking his rival to sacrifice something just as great. He __**needed **__Naruto to be strong, or else it would all have meant nothing. "I have no right to ask this of you, but don't try to stop me."_

_Naruto couldn't, even though he begged to. The Shinigami had already swallowed the one Uchiha who should have died long ago, savoring the deal halfway concluded- But this unfair exchange meant nothing to the almost-hero, and he would have continued to fight even death to bring his friend back where he belonged- Sasuke was __**his **__friend! His brother! After all this time, it wasn't fair that he was being taken away once again. Naruto would do __**anything**__ to reverse this tragedy._

"_Actually… I need one more thing…" Whether it was the power of the eyes or the power of the one who held them, Naruto found that he could not move, he could not refuse. This gaze, too, would be with him for an eternity while he listened._

"_Don't screw things up any worse than they already are, Idiot…"_

_And Naruto continued to be paralyzed long after his one, true friend's last words died out. Both their bodies lay there on that eternal battlefield as still as death. Sasuke rested on his side and stared emptily up at his blond brother who had been brought to his knees by the weight of responsibility thrust upon him. Afternoon turned to evening turned to night on that desolate plain, finally peaceful._

'_**How pathetic. He took the easy way out- the one you were going to. Neither of you deserve to bring lasting peace. You are too weak-willed and selfish to do what is necessary.**_ _**You might have accepted your own hatred, but you'll never be able to accept the world's. To do what is right is to be reviled for going against history. Breaking the cycle breaks everything people hold sacred. Mark my words, no matter how long it takes, peace will crumble. These walls will crumble, and **_**I **_**will return.'**_

_However, the fight for his sanity was just beginning, and Naruto would never know peace again for as long as they both should live. It was true, the ultimate sacrifice was easier, permanent. But Sasuke wouldn't allow him to be weak. He always had to be strong, to fight on. That lot was his. _

_Where the sun failed, the moon continued to shine upon him. It carried light even though it was so far removed from the world. Looking up and ahead, he knew what he had to do. _

* * *

The moon was there when he next awoke. It was as if the same thing that broke it also broke his dreams, silvery light splitting his mind in twain.

Groaning, he groped for his wide-brimmed hat and shoved it in front of his wretched face. Even the sun's reflected rays were offensive to his eyes which were impossibly sensitive. There were still bare patches in his covering though, and everywhere he tossed and turned, one of those slivers of light seemed to reach out and stab him with stigmata.

"**Alright, alright, I'm up." **

Sleep, like death, would take him when it wanted.

Ambling to his clawed feet, he staggered forward for a few steps while careful not to trip on the flowing robe that hid his hideous body. Each unwieldly footfall reminded him of who and what he now was. And with a blink, the eyes which were still not-quite his saw the sign and reminded him of where he was going.

Kuroyuri.

"**Of course,"** He mumbled to himself, no one else on that desolate road other than the human skull posted as warning at the fork. **"To do what is right…."**

He took a left, to the road less traveled.

* * *

"Twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three… four… left, right, left…"

Weiss watched, temporarily entranced by this mantra of muscle. Unnoticed, she stood at the entrance to the gym while her teammate pounded out her umpteenth set of alternating dumbbell curls. Before that it had been bench-presses, before that dumbbell-flies, and so on for N number of exercises. The only thing remaining constant between each iteration was the look of effort and determination on Yang's face, while the disgusting amount of sweat continued to pool into her workout clothes and the mountain of dew-rags tossed to the side grew.

How long had Weiss been standing there? Why was she even watching this disturbing spectacle?

Neither of these questions were as important as the one centered around her blonde teammate. It was an enigma that no textbook could answer. And therefore, it was a problem which vexed Weiss who needed to come up with her own unique response.

She sighed, trying not to sneeze as the room's ancestral scent of sweat snuck into her nostrils. Remarking, as she walked away, that it was not nearly as foul a scent as _some things._

* * *

Ghosting into their dorm, Weiss thought it felt more like a graveyard with how unnaturally quiet and vacant it was. The only exception was her team leader who was once again perched like a gargoyle at her desk, hands clawing at her alabaster face in eternal anguish as she was subject to the tortures of hell (which was their history class).

Backing out just as quietly as she came, it was like Weiss had never been there in the first place.

* * *

The library. Even in their age of electronic information, there was a respect and even reverence for these analog repositories of knowledge. Just as nothing could quite replace the potency of a face-to-face conversation, the written word would forever hold an aesthetic significance in the human brain. One could look at a line of script and see new avenues of thought between the margins.

Weiss walked the isles of books hoping for one of these paths to reveal itself to her. Where introspection had led her in circles and finding answers with her friends had become stale, perhaps she could lose herself within the leaves and find an answer to her existential dilemma.

The problem was that the mustiness of ancient tombs reminded her too much of the Emerald forest, and the dim lighting of the monstrous Shade that resided therein. The humid chill brought back the goosebumps on her arm, and the cavernous ceiling echoed the fact that she was all alone.

Except that she wasn't.

"Blake?"

Not loud enough to draw the librarian's ire even with the room's excellent acoustics, Weiss was still afraid that her slip of the tongue would spook her third teammate. There was something about the woman's uncanny hearing which twigged something in Weiss's mind. She knew that fact ought to be important but couldn't place the significance within the puzzle she was currently working on.

This time however, her cagey teammate did not stir. Not even when her high heels clacked harshly on the hardwood floor did Blake so much as twitch.

Finally, Weiss relaxed, realizing that there was no reason to be so sneaky. The black-haired beauty was fast asleep at her station, passed out like a glutton amidst stacks of dishes that were in varying states of gustation: Piles of books towered around her, those unread and those discarded, some splayed halfway open with a torn scrap of notebook paper to mark a page.

Granted infinite opportunity, Weiss once again stood and stared at the caricature of virtue. Why were her teammates like this? What did they hope to accomplish with these individual pursuits? Furthermore, why even bother?

Weiss knew that no amount of knowledge would be enough. Her perfect scores reflected this ugly fact, decrying diligence as a method of getting ahead. Strength was just as false a measure, demonstrated with both her sister and Pyrrha Nikos. Neither her model nor her idol were true masters of their own fate.

And the biggest liar of all- Ozpin- had told the only truth: She had come here seeking knowledge, hoping it would set her free. But none of them had really expected just how steep that first step was, and now it felt like they were tumbling into an abyss.

Assuming, that this too wasn't a lie.

Looking at what Blake had rejected for her own answers, Weiss picked up one of the books that was open midway and rested on the edge of the table. Finding it impossible to jump into the wall of text, she closed it gently and looked at the cover. Then she found the spine, discovering the title on the front to be worn away with time.

A Modern Myth: Literary Analysis of 'a Man with Two Souls'

Imbedded within the cumbersome title, Weiss recognized the book Blake had been reading on their very first night on campus. Coincidence (and Ruby) had coaxed out the novel's name from Blake. But that detail had been sidelined by the confrontation which immediately followed, just as that whole first day had been overshadowed by the one which came after.

"It's more cultural than literary, actually."

Nearly dropping the heavy tomb in surprise, Weiss juggled it in her hands before clutching it to her chest and breathing a subdued sigh of relief. Looking up, she was met with one amber eye that was cracked enough to see her, but not enough to show amusement or even interest. If Weiss didn't know any better, she would have said that Blake was still asleep as the black bags under her eyes nearly eclipsed the crescent moon of her iris.

"I-is that so…" Weiss stuttered, trying to keep her voice down along with the surprise in it.

"Mm, 'bout psychology of myth and story dismnaton…" Blake garbled sleepily, "Dense… I could only get about halfway through… what time is it, anyway?"

One question she could answer, Weiss popped out her scroll and blinked in surprise. Both at the harsh light, as well as the time.

"Seven-thirty."

"AM or PM?"

Weiss tried to focus her dilated eyes into disapproval that would hopefully get past Blake's half-lidded stare. But the scolding effect was lost when both their stomachs grumbled angrily in tandem, sparking a fear that the librarian would chew them out.

"Dinnertime." Weiss sighed, shuffling more of the stacked books into her arms. "-And then bed for you. It's still a school night, and we have combat class tomorrow. We can't have you throwing away a match and making our team look bad." It was impossible to tell if Blake believed this excuse any more than Weiss herself.

And she wasn't telling. With a groan of effort and impressive flexibility, Blake stretched in her seat. Arching her back so that it was parallel with the polished wood floor, unknowingly she made other parts of her body perk straight up.

"I'll help you put back the books." Weiss grumbled, pretending her ire was for the effort and not the other woman's unintentional flaunting. Body envy should have been the last thing on her mind, but it somehow also factored into Weiss's feelings of inadequacy.

"Thks…" Blake groaned, rolling her shoulders with a sound that made Weiss think it was the ancient chair.

All this served to draw Weiss's attention to the smaller novel which lay unfurled atop a larger, decidedly more technical text in front of Blake. Recognizing it, her opinion of the woman dropped down a notch, back to an even keel.

"Really?" Unable to help the sarcastic reproval, Weiss could recognize the pages from 'Ninjas of Love' even upside-down by now.

Even half-awake as she was, Blake's body knew when to blush.

"It was part of my research." Quickly swiping her personal copy into her bookbag, Blake was only slightly slower to defend herself. "There was one thing that I did get out of that 'Myth' text. Apparently, the author who wrote the original 'Ninja' series and the one who wrote 'Man with Two Souls' are one and the same, just under a pseudonym."

Shrugging at Weiss's disbelieving look, Blake grabbed her own handful of books and quietly explained.

"It's not that uncommon, actually. Lots of authors will write books that are far out of their genre for fun, or because they need the money." Returning one of the closest volumes to its shelf, she continued and led Weiss to where the others had come from. "It might seem ironic, but a lot of the authors known for writing children's novels also write horror stories or 'adult literature'. I guess that you spend your whole life trying to write happy things, and eventually you burn out. So instead, they find an outlet. Another personality, if you will."

"So, is that where the other book comes in? Is it saying that the author of the smut and the novel has like split-personality or something?" Weiss asked while trying to fill in the gaps where she could, both in the narrative and in the shelves.

"I honestly don't quite know." Blake muttered, chagrinned at both her ignorance and at having her favorite books written off as 'smut'. "The author of that 'Myth' book was all over the place, one of the reasons I couldn't finish it. But it seemed to me, he was arguing that although the writers are the same, the 'Two Souls' book is more an autobiography. And the way he was going at it, it was like he was speaking more literally than metaphorically."

"Two people sharing one body…" Shelving her skepticism at the same time as an extremely hefty book on the comprehensive history on the _history _of the study of Grimm, Weiss honestly tried to imagine what that would be like.

"Or, perhaps two people sharing a singular goal. A body of work." Finished with her own stack, Blake regarded Weiss with a pointed look as she too replaced the last book.

Blinking in that darkness which her teammate apparently didn't mind, Weiss tried to fathom what Blake was saying. She didn't comprehend the woman. And admittedly, she had tried to understand her the least out of their entire team. Maybe it was the fact that Blake was content being unobtrusive, or maybe it was the feeling of standoffishness that she tacitly reciprocated.

Maybe it was the fact that Weiss just hadn't _wanted_ to empathize with the recalcitrant woman. Yang and Weiss's childish partner both wore their emotions on their sleeves- for the most part. That was a generalization the heiress was reluctantly reevaluating. But she was even more hesitant to delve into the enigma that was the Belladonna. Was she scared of what she might find there? Maybe she just wanted to believe the woman was simply aloof and harmless for as long as possible.

Before something came along and forced her to change her mind.

"Let's go get some grub."

* * *

When they arrived at a quarter-past eight, the dining room was still in its peak hours despite the early schedules most students kept. Wordlessly the teammates stuck together through the chaos, coming out through the line with trays of food they both couldn't remember choosing and then tried to pick faces out of the crowd that they knew.

It wasn't all that hard to spot Yang who was busy replenishing the stores she had exhausted during the day. Lifting the fork to her mouth with just as much ferocity as she had lifted the iron weights, Yang's attention was more focused on the act and the person sitting across from her than the food itself. At nearly half the mass of their blonde teammate, Nora was an unassuming challenger to their impromptu food-eating contest. But that did not stop the girl from having a stack of pancakes as tall as her head (which were disappearing rapidly), and a gleam in her eyes as she stared off against her opponent.

Weiss and Blake both chose to ignore their friends and the crowd they were drawing.

Not that sitting alone together was any less uncomfortable. Between every absent forkful Weiss found the woman across from her. And the more she analyzed her enigmatic teammate, the more she discovered about herself.

Like how she _thought_ she enjoyed the peace and quiet but ended up missing the inane chatter of her partner in the face of this impersonal silence. It was so distracting that Weiss didn't even realize what she was eating until the meatloaf was halfway gone, and she gagged in realization at her least-favorite dish.

"Alright, that's it!" Weiss declared, throwing the fork down in resignation and disgust. If her loud voice had been noticed over the mounting cheers across the hall, she found she didn't care. "Why?!"

"Why, what?" Boredom and disinterest made it seem like Blake was still half-asleep, even if she had jumped at the clatter of the utensil.

"Why do you do this to yourself? Nothing in those books is going to tell you anything useful to help our situation, it's all pointless!"

Blake blinked slowly as if adjust to the illumination provided by this explanation, then set her own unappreciated meal aside with a resigned sigh.

"You're right, I suppose." Remarking offhandedly, she did not bother to acknowledge Weiss's disappointment. "Maybe we're just running from the truth. Although, I think that we're each running from a different one…"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Why are you asking me, anyway?" Diffidence finally rearing its head, Blake lowered her chin into her palm and glared at the woman who sat across the table but was a world apart.

"Well, _excuse me_. My only other options would have been to ask the meathead or the airhead, and I just thought that _you _might have a more rational answer."

"_Sorry_, but I don't." Mimicking the tone of sarcasm, the more Blake interacted with the Schnee heiress, the more she remembered why she didn't like to. After what they had collectively gone through, she was willing to give the girl a clean slate. But it was increasingly clear that Weiss was too spoiled to be handed nothing on platter. "And I'm _sorry, Princess_, but other people have problems too. Problems that if we had the answers for wouldn't be issues in the first place. You may be used to being fed things with a silver spoon, but the rest of us didn't have the luxury of having our lives planned out for us."

"Luxury!" At the back of her mind, Weiss realized how silly it was that she was getting incensed over the truth. Also back there, she recognized knocking over the wooden bench as she stood up violently. "Do you have any idea what kind of prison it was growing up in my _family?_"

"No," On the opposite end of the spectrum to Weiss's fiery temper, Blake stood calmly and spoke this one word with more frost than the Schnee had ever felt in Atlas. "But I know what it's like in a _real _prison. It's not nearly so comfortable. It's cold in every way, so dark that everything is the same in there. Nights and days are the same, it's infinite. You're never sure when you'll escape- if _ever_. You might not even know why you're locked up in the first place. And the reasons to keep living in this hell are just as arbitrary."

Grabbing the food tray which looked remarkably like those used in such institutions, the metal flexed under Blake's calloused hands. She glared at it, rather than her silently aghast teammate.

"And this jail isn't always concrete and steel. Sometimes… sometimes it's your own skin. Your own mind. People are born into these places. And unlike _you,_ we don't always have the benefit of a gilded bars or even a glimpse of what it's like outside."

Turning her back on Weiss, Blake left without another word. Her pace was unfaltering as she walked away, but inside she knew she was actually just running yet again. Like how she had run from the White Fang to hide herself within Beacon's walls. Now she was burying herself in a bastion of books and self-delusion in order not to face the truth.

A part of her knew that she was just scared, like her teammate. Not so much of monsters, for humans- and yes, even Faunus- could be just as monstrous as anything. Blake was scared because she _wasn't _so different from the spoiled human girl. That was the truth she was running from. Because if that was the case… then she was truly lost.

But again, no more lost than the flabbergasted Schnee, who, to her credit, was trying her best to understand.

Unfortunately, the only thing Weiss could currently comprehend was how their conversation-turned-argument had become the new center of attention, and the white-haired girl the focus of the whispers.

Weiss marched out of the dining hall, opposite to Blake in direction and outward appearance. An indignant blush painted her cheeks and frustration pealed her heels against the immaculate tile.

She paid attention to nothing else as she left the great hall, not even where she was going. The only thing she knew was that she was frustrated.

Although, whether it was at the world, or herself, was again unclear.

* * *

An incalculable time later Weiss ended up back in their dorm. That intimate room was becoming more and more familiar with each passing day, its inhabitants hardly changing at all since she left them.

Ruby was still at her station. But she had apparently migrated from her work, now playing a videogame silently on her scroll- strangely, neglecting to wear her ubiquitous headphones this time. There was also an additional body sprawled out on one of the lower bunks, Yang and her newly distended belly laying there as part of the landscape like a range of rolling hills.

"Oh! Um, Weiss. I- uh, I'm just taking a break… from…" Quickly hiding the distraction from her partner's sight, Ruby then realized that the other girl's gaze was equally unfocussed. "Is… everything okay?"

Seeming not to hear her captain, Weiss looked at the desk's other occupants. Papers and texts stacked haphazardly, surrounded by eraser rubbings and curlicues of pencil shavings like the remnants of a hard-won battle.

"You've been busy." Weiss stated.

"Oh, uh, yeah, kind of."

Taking a deep breath before the plunge, Weiss let the question slip past her lips:

"Why?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" With game long forgotten, Ruby looked at her digested materials in mild panic in case she made some grievous mistake. "This is… homework?"

Once again, Weiss felt a pang of frustration as she was given another question instead of a satisfactory answer.

"-But why are you working so hard at it?" Weiss demanded, doing her best to keep the rising impatience and disbelief at an acceptable volume. It was obvious that their leader wasn't naturally so diligent, and so Weiss struggled to understand how the profound event they all shared could have change the girl in such a way. "What's the point?"

"Err…" Still forced to be skeptical, Ruby mulled over the first response which came to her head and judged the words individually as they came out. "I… kind of want… to be a huntress."

"You dolt!" Finally losing her poise, Weiss unconsciously realized that there was no point in maintaining it. The only argument was a pained groan from the bed holding Yang, which was summarily ignored. "I mean: what's the point in any of _this_? This, this- studying- school- _society-_ if there's something like that monster which can just end it all on a whim?! It's clear that huntresses and huntsmen- hell, even the headmaster is probably just a joke to it. We're all just a joke, so why… aren't you- aren't you at least _scared?_"

"Well, yeah," As if she'd never had to think of it before, Ruby scratched her cheek, looking to the side to avoid her partner's unaccustomed urgency and trying to come up with an answer that satisfied them both. "A little, I guess. I mean, he's strong. Like, _impossibly _strong- and fast, too (which _totally _isn't fair) … but scared…?"

Weiss had calmed slightly at her leader's slow, thoughtful speech. She had been placated a little by the admission of fear, but still feared the 'But'.

"I don't know. I should probably be scared, but what's the point? I think I find him more annoying than scary, though that's because he keeps swearing and teasing me about my height. More than that… more than that, I think that he excites me." As she interpreted her partner's dumbfounded expression, Ruby suddenly realized how else her words could be interpreted. "Gah!- I mean, the _idea _of him excites me- n-not in _that _way. I mean, when I first learned I was coming to Beacon, I was over the moon because thought that everything would be different. Not that it wouldn't've been anyway. But even back then, I was worried about what'd be like. New places, new people, new things to learn… it can be both scary _and _exciting.

"With Jin, or whatever his name is, he just sort of adds to the incredibility. He was something I _never _expected, the kind of thing you read about in adventure tales. Yeah, he's like… a dragon. You know, the solitary, greedy kind that hoards a whole bunch of treasure. He's not necessarily evil, but people still fear and hate him. And the thing is, the heroes almost never have to actually defeat him. They can trick him or even make a bargain. And it works because even though he's strong, he doesn't really want to fight. Like the treasure, it doesn't bring him any happiness. As a kid, I always thought those kinds of people were just… lonely.

"I know, I know, it's naïve and foolish and stupid to compare real life with fairy tales. I know that real life doesn't have such happy endings. But still… no one ever told us real life would have such crazy things in it either, right? So, maybe there's some truth to them?"

Ruby stopped, awaiting disapproval. And oh, how much Weiss wanted to call her partner a babbling idiot. But was she? After exhausting all other possibilities, Weiss was ready to accept just about anything. And this something, no matter how outlandish and simplistic… made a startling amount of sense. Perhaps… perhaps Weiss had been the idiot all along.

Or maybe she was just going insane. She didn't know, and for once, Weiss found she no longer cared.

Digesting the argument rather than the metaphysical conundrum, both partners remained silent for a while. Weiss, chewing on the words, and Ruby chewing on her bottom lip as she wondered if she had said something dumb.

"Alright," Weiss said, finally and simply. Her posture spoke more as invisible restraints binding her body seemed to loosen, allowing her to relax and all but melt into the hardbacked wooden chair she sat in. "But that still doesn't explain why you've been studying so much. Surely you're not planning on tricking this 'dragon' out of his treasures."

"Oh, no!" Despite her denial, Ruby brightened. "I just want to be the best team captain I can be! There's still so much I have to catch up on. I know there's going to be a lot expected of me, now more than ever."

Huffing a laugh, Weiss closed her eyes and nodded instead of shaking her head as she was inclined to do.

"We all just want to be the best we can be."

The two partners turned around to see Yang still laying on her bed. But the woman's food-induced pregnancy had disappeared along with the delirious coma, showing she had been paying attention to the conversation the whole time. "Ruby is right. We don't necessarily have to be strong enough to defeat all the monsters in this world. Just enough to protect what's important to us."

Obviously, the boisterous blonde referred to the sister sitting beside Weiss. But just for a moment, the isolated heiress felt that her teammate's unfocussed, formless statement applied to her as well.

"You're just annoyed that you lost to Nora in the food-eating competition, aren't you?" But instead of thinking about it, Weiss eschewed her reservations with humor.

"Shaddup."

And it worked. For a little while.

There were relieved giggles from the other two, eventually joined by a grunt of laughter as Yang tried to sit up.

"Though speaking of, where's Blakey? It's getting pretty late, ain't it?"

"Eh, she's probably fine." Ruby halfheartedly assured herself and her remaining team, trying to balance being a captain, a friend, and someone who respected the older woman's independence.

"Still, it's a school night, and she should inform u- her _leader_ if she's going to stay out late." Weiss reasoned patiently, deferring to her captain, but also the fact that she might have had a hand in Blake's late-night roving.

"Well, let's give her a buzz and see what's up."

Although meant to assure her worrisome comrades, Yang's quick call had the opposite effect as her partner's Scroll went direct to messages. Trying again in case of a fluke, Yang was soon joined by her sister and even Weiss as they all tried to contact their missing member.

"Maybe JNPR's seen her?"

But they hadn't. Nora hadn't even remembered seeing the wayward woman in the dining hall, several hours previous. Embarrassed by this admission, the other students offered to help locate RWBY's fourth but were turned down. Her teammates were certain it was an overreaction and they didn't want to embarrass Blake with an all-out search party.

Just a small one.

None of team RWBY would try to deny being paranoid in that moment. But even if they admitted this fault, there were also admittedly things in their world which were very much out to get them.

* * *

Why was she here?

Some people thought that her kind needed an excuse simply for being born. But Blake was never so self-loathing as to believe that. And in all honesty, she never thought she would have to ask herself this question again. Not after she had committed to the path of redemption.

Coming to Beacon and becoming a huntress had been the logical choice to atone for her life of dissidence and crime- even if these actions had been for a good cause. No, she had decided to support this good cause from within the rules of society, believing in the goodness of mankind.

But then someone decided to toss rules and logic out the window and introduce her to the face of evil instead.

No- That wasn't fair. Judging others based on appearance was what humans did to them. It was easy to hate something that you didn't view as your equal.

That _thing_ wasn't their equal, and it had made sure they knew it. It had flaunted its prowess alongside its redoubtable appearance, and it toyed with them the same way it had toyed with the Five-Tailed monstrosity. It messed with Blake especially, because she was especially sensitive to the primal ques. Animalistic signals which simultaneously made her weak at the knees and wanting to claw those damnable eyes out. Only now in retrospect could she remark on the tainted scent which had saturated the air of their encounter, pheromones as painful as all the teargas she'd ever been doused with, yet as irresistible as catnip.

Only now did she realize that the Emerald Forest reeked of them, reeked of _him, _an aroma that lingered like burnt ozone.

Which again brought up the question:

Why was she here?

She had run from Weiss, that was the unvarnished truth. However, beneath that veneer, she had run from the idea that she was no different from that spoiled prat. The very idea that she- _she_, Blake Belladonna, daughter of Ghira Belladonna (who was the founder of the White Fang Faunus Rights group), advocate for equality since she uttered her first words, and former elite soldier of the New White Fang- was on par with the Schnee family progeny was something that she couldn't comprehend. She didn't want to.

-Because she was supposed to be _better. _ She had to be; else, how could she claim to be on the side of righteousness? That was the entire reason she refused to follow Adam Taurus's methods, which harmed innocents in the same way their kind had been.

Maybe that's why she instinctually came back here to the place where doubt was first seeded, to prove that she wasn't one to judge a book by its cover.

If this was an ironic statement, it was even more ironic how relieved she felt remembering the Grimm-Man wasn't there. JNPR had told them as much earlier that week. They had informed team RWBY on what they had learned from their second encounter with 'Jin', if not the exact deal they had brokered with the beast.

Even they were stronger than her, willing to talk- nay, make demands from something that could squash them like flies. How was it that four juvenile humans could treat a Grimm like a person when humanity belittled Faunus as less than the sum of their animal parts?

How could Blake ask the world to see Faunus as people, when she could not see the Grimm-Man as anything but a plague?

Shuddering at the mere thought of him, she realized it wasn't possible. It wasn't fair to ask her to disregard her DNA and make friends with that creature. She could try for amicable relations, if she really had to. Even if she had no intention of every seeing It-Him again.

Even if he wasn't supposed to be there currently, it still felt like his dissecting eyes were upon her.

Or were those the eyes of the world, judging her harshly? Writing her off like she had written off her teammate. Snapping at the Schnee hadn't been fair, either. Unlike her father, or even what Blake had expected from her, Weiss was really trying. Could Blake truly have been so petty to be jealous of her for that?

Yes or no, either answer was less than comforting. The latter would have her still wandering the hostile woods in search of a plausible explanation. The former meant that she had to go back and face the music. Maybe not tonight, maybe not even tomorrow where she could avoid the uncomfortable questions which would include where she'd been. But sometime in the next four years.

Perhaps Blake would get lucky and her teammates would already be asleep by the time she returned. But she was ready to go back. She was tired of being alone.

However, Blake knew she wasn't lucky. Nor could she say that she was alone.

At least a dozen sets of glowing red eyes gleamed at her from the shadows.

A creature of habit, Blake reached for her weapon without breaking the staring contest- only to falter and blink when she found neither _Gambol _nor _Shroud _in their usual place. Then she remembered that in her new life they weren't supposed to always need weapons around campus- which was foolish, even- _especially _if _He _had been there to 'protect' them.

A hissed curse like a whistle gave the salivating Grimm permission to charge. Their hunger mixed in with the conflict of emotions surrounding Blake, and the glade became a desperate frenzy of action.

Not to be left behind, Blake charged opposite a Beowulf loping at her on all fours. The starving creature showed no surprise at this brazen action, at least until its prey leapt through the scissoring of its arms and landed on its head. Then it scratched furiously at its scalp as if it were infested with lice and reared up on its hind legs to try and buck the cat-Faunus digging claws into its pelt.

Blake left of her own accord when a Boarbatusk barreled into the Beowulf's exposed underbelly. Launched off like the last ball of a Newtonian Cradle, she sailed into the trunk of a tree, coiled and sprung back at another lupine Grimm which was torn between catching its meal or avenging its packmate. Making the choice for it, Blake tore into its slack-jawed maw with a punch that would have made her partner proud. She let her sharpened nails rake behind as she flittered under its legs.

Confusion reigned in that confined space, the sheer number of congregating Grimm creating a bottleneck which Blake eagerly took advantage of. Unfortunately, she too was caught in the chaos and quickly realized she had lost her sense of direction when trying to lose her pursuers. There was little time to get her bearings though, because more had been attracted by the commotion and were stalking through the brush to join the party.

Cursing under her breath again, Blake knew these pests would have been no issue if she only had her weapons. Instead, she was forced to flee away from the parade of growls and bays, knowing too that she was probably being forced further away from the school.

What she didn't understand was why they were here. From what she understood, 'Jin' was supposed to have culled the monster population. And most of the elder Grimm were still too wise to tread upon his territory even if he were away for a short vacation. After all, if she could smell his fear-inducing scent through her huffing breaths, surely they could as well.

A morbid thought flittered through her head like the branches through her vision as she leapt from tree to tree. Perhaps these hatchling Grimm were starved, desperate to survive as she was. Sympathy for Grimm, the idea was laughable, but Blake couldn't manage a titter. Partially because she was too breathless to do so, but also because the irony was too thick.

However, it was not yet a perfect parody. There was one character who was missing to make it complete, but Blake wasn't holding out much hope for their arrival. She was just hoping to make it out of this farce alive- intact, if at all possible.

Perhaps even this aspiration was too much. For as soon as the branches overhead cleared enough for her to wish upon a star, a fledgling Nevermore crashed through the canopy as it divebombed at her. Missing, yet its frantic flapping of wings was enough to distract Blake and cause her to miss her next leap, slamming stomach-first into a sturdy limb and then flopping ragdoll back down to the forest floor.

"No…" She wheezed, looking up through the small clearing in the leaves to see the heavens winking mockingly at her. "This can't… not like this. I survived back then…"

_**But survival seldom has a reason, and death never needs an excuse.**_

Even in his absence, his words mocked her with their aptness. What had she been thinking- why _hadn't_ she thought to bring her weapons when going wandering in the woods?

"No!"

Thinking only now that she wanted desperately to survive, to learn from this mistake even if she were to later die by another one.

Learning back to one of her first missions for the White Fang: while on the ground, Blake listened with her feline ears to the galloping of approaching feet and waited until the gaggle of scavengers was upon her before lashing out.

The avian/reptilian Grimm was more surprised to find her legs wrapped around its elongate neck than Blake was herself at discovering this new species of monster staring back at her upside-down. Foregoing the novelty, she wrenched forward with her hips and snapped the creature's ostrich-like esophagus, simultaneously tossing it into its brethren. Sharing none of the brotherly love, the others tore through its disintegrating body like piranhas, showing them to be more raptor than bird.

But soon they were as chickens with their heads cut off as Blake dispatched them one by one. The self-replicating clouds of black smoke from the dying Grimm hid her methodical assassinations. Such stupid creatures were no match for someone with training, let alone Aura.

-At least until a Boarbatusk finally caught up to them and barreled through the fog of combat, ramming Blake into a tree and proving you can't win against stupidity. This single, brutish broadside had likely knocked her defensive Aura down by 50%. But Blake had no way of knowing as the battering ram had also crushed her scroll in the process, thus eliminating her only metric other than the bruising of her ribs.

Groaning, the injured Faunus peeled herself off the ground on all forus and looked up to see the porcine creature pawing its hoof in preparation for another charge. This warning gave her time to recover and sacrifice just a little bit more Aura for a clone to take her place. The doppelganger burst into flame as it was squeezed against the tree, charring the beast's eyes and covering Blake's retreat in a murderous squeal and the lingering scent of burnt hair- some of which might have been her own.

Escaping by the skin of her teeth- Blake looked up only to find several additional sharp sets of teeth baring down at her. Beowolves, Creeps, more of the unidentified 'Raptures' and several other species all blended into the wall of blackness whose only cracks were those same ravenous smiles.

Blake stared back into the darkness, knowing already that it would be her funeral shroud and feeling every thread of weight draped around her shoulders. It smothered her, robbed her of the heat in her body and suffocated the spark driving her forward. She wanted to fall to her knees but couldn't move as she was locked in a premature rigor mortis.

Why? Why did life insist on kicking them while they were down? It was too much to ask that life should be fair- this she could accept. But why couldn't it give them a damned _chance? _

Not giving her a chance for another thought, life pressed down, hard and cold.

Icy splinters hailed down, perforating and ripping holes in her perfect tragedy, turning that wall of death as illusory as smoke. It happened too fast for the Grimm to even give out a whimper as they were decimated with a single attack.

Blake let out a sigh, let gravity win against her rigid posture even as the corners of her mouth twitched upwards. She breathed in the olid mist of the dissipating Grimm like it was sandalwood smoke bringing her clarity and relief.

"Of course, it would be you."

Weiss landed heavily after her assault. Looking back at the black-haired woman, her lips parted for a deep breath and an acerbic response. However, the part of Weiss which was reviewing her life replayed Blake's words. There had been nothing in them which spoke of disparity or critique, only a resignation which the woman's rescuer was hesitant to comment on.

"Here," Unslinging the black blemish to her all white outfit, Weiss handed her teammate the weapons she had retrieved from the woman's locker. "You look like you could use these."

"Thanks." Blake responded in all sincerity, making Weiss glad she didn't start a scene.

Besides, they had enough of a travesty to muddle through already.

"Well, should we make a break for it before more of these guys show up?" Weiss suggested, not expecting any contention as the endless horde of Grimm towed the line and filed in to replace the ones she had crushed.

No, there was not going to be any dallying, and certainly no-

"No," Blake stated with a word that rang along with her sword being drawn. She rolled her shoulders like she rolled the next words on her tongue. "No, I think I have to blow off a little steam, first."

Opening her mouth to say something only to close it again without making a sound, Weiss shook her head after a moment's hesitation. With furrowed brows, she followed the swath of destruction being carved in the Grimm's ranks.

"Has the whole world gone insane?"

Either in search of an answer or else providing one herself, Weiss too charged into the fray.

What had seemed to be an unending tide of monsters turned out to be the highwater mark before the ebb. The Grimm had retreated, though more out of boredom than fear which the creatures couldn't feel. They were no longer interested after the two huntresses had exhausted their frustrations and achieved a deadly Zen-like state of combat, one where the slaughtering of Grimm was more monotonous than cathartic.

Thus, what at first seemed like a pointless exercise in fact functioned to purge all the unreconciled emotions which they had been accumulating over the last two weeks. Now out in the open, the two teens could regard these sentiments clearly with the pale light of the moon, better than they could continuing to fumble around with them in the dark of their own minds. It turned out, the passions which had kept them bound separately were gossamer thin, feeble, almost transparent with the moonlight streaming through.

And now they could see each other too, clearly for perhaps the first time. Even with the moon's greyscale painting everything black and white, the two huntresses realized they weren't that different. One last, unintentional consequence therefore resulted from tonight's escapade, as Weiss and Blake could understand one another just that little bit.

Perhaps, even themselves.

"I've made up my mind." Weiss declared, transmuting her hesitance to confidence just as she transitioned from leaning on _Myrtenaster _to standing tall with it. "I am a huntress. That's who I am, more than just a career or a way to set myself apart from the title of Schnee heiress. Even if I wanted to, there's no way I could go back to singing sad songs I didn't appreciate, nor making corporate decisions whose consequences I didn't understand. I do understand and recognize that the world never moved through words alone, and I won't get anywhere by complaining about it.

"And maybe… there's a distinct possibility I'll still fail to change anything. Or perhaps whatever I end up doing won't even matter in the end. But it will to me. Because this is one decision that I can at least be proud of."

Blake might have also been proud of the girl, though she did not say so because she was too surprised by the resolute speech.

Also, because that honor was not hers to own. Blake herself had only shame as she struggled to find her own conclusion to take from everything which had happened tonight.

But in her mind, the battle still waged.

She wanted to call Weiss out for being a liar and decry her too-simple self-realization. Blake wanted to protest that a few words given in sincerity had the power to change the world, and that a desire for power was what got them here.

But she didn't. And she couldn't even do so, not without being a hypocrite.

So once again, Blake chose to hide in silence when it all could have ended with three little words.

"Let's go home."

* * *

"**Almost… there…"**

Finally cresting the ridge, the Kingdom near its entirety was laid out before him like a map, from the pillowing base of the mountains to the silky sea. The waves shimmered like rustling sheets about to be drawn up over the slumbering city, and the shattered moon tottered on the edge of the horizon.

"**Almost… home."**

Oh, how he wished he could just pull the watery covers over his eyes, drown it all and not have to ever know if this twilight blue dream was precursor to night or the coming of a new dawn.

But the blood from his side continued to flow like a river, and he had to move on.

"**Damn it all…"**

Behind him dragged five tails, once so personably prehensile now flaccid with exhaustion. Instead of imbuing him with power, they weighed heavily on each limping step. His legs bowed, and now with a clear kink in it, his left spurred at him every time weight was put on it.

"**Son of a-!"**

Treacherous river rocks were slicked with his own black blood, and they shifted under his claws to make him stumble. He crashed into the crevasse's walls and jagged stones rose up to cut into his necrotic flesh. Where had his thick skin gone? Impenetrable plates of bone were being replaced by a contemptable softness. But his sharp talons dug into the rock like cold butter, just enough to keep him from falling to the ground where he would simply lay down and sleep.

He could rest. These grievous wounds would stitch themselves in the time it would take to get a few winks. But oh, how he detested it. Not so much slumber, but the feeling of weakness it brought with it. Lying there, helpless and prostrate.

And subject to the visions of a life that was not his.

He just wanted to go home. Home, or the closest thing to it he could currently imagine. The Emerald Forest, Vale, was his now.

"**Heh, I'm getting weak…"**

He didn't want it. He didn't want this power, nor the responsibility which came with it. Each tail he gained was as much benefit as burden, gaining ability but losing control. At least the miscellaneous memories were returned to their original owners, Tailed-Beasts reuniting with their individual, often infuriating personalities.

But each one left him with fewer options as to who he was. As much as he wanted to deny it, Uzumaki Naruto's memories were some of the hardest to shake. Damn it! He didn't want them!

He just wanted what was his.

Was that too much to ask?

"**I think… I'm owed a rest." **Framed by the gorge walls, the sliver of stars above were as silent as the towers of Beacon far off in front of him. **"And… who would try and stop me?"**

The red eyes which could see everything but the future closed, winked out from the darkness.

* * *

'_**Kit, you know that I won't try to stop you, but…'**__ The only one who would dare speak up against his crazy, desperate scheme- _Kami, how he missed him, even now_. __**'Are you sure you want to do this? There's no going home afterwards, you know?' **_

'_What's the matter, Kurama? Chickening out on me now?' His goading rang hollow, not least because there was no air to carry his voice in the void of space. 'I would have thought you were getting a bit restless in there. Don't'cha want to cut loose? It'll be just like defacing the Hokage monument… only a thousand times bigger, am I right?"_

_None of them knew just how long their energies would drift the solar winds afterwards. What was death to a Tailed Beast? Were they bound to this planet's gravity, or would they awake under a different star entirely? Would they even recognize Earth when they finally came to? Each other? Such were the concerns of those that were not beholden to things such as food, oxygen or even time itself. _

_Naruto was not such a creature. With his world ravished, his brother's spirit locked away in the Shinigami's gullet and none of the Sage's progeny there to guide his way, would his soul ever find its way home? _

'_I'd be lying if I said I was sure,' Naruto admitted. Until now, he had never known what the moon looked like up-close- he had never even thought to guess. Maybe if shinobi like him had spent more time wondering and less time fighting… then again, the ball of rock wasn't nearly so pretty from low orbit. 'But it's all I got left.' _

_And with any luck, he would be the last to see that stark and scarred surface. The next time people looked up to the sky it would be empty except for a sprinkling of stars. The remnants of humanity could forget the truth, imagine the past in its perfection without ever knowing the flawed reality that it was. _

'…_**You still have us.' **__Even as the unadulterated sun shot spears of light around his home planet, Naruto felt himself shiver. __**'Isn't that enough?' **_

_It was more than enough to get him to hesitate. Having lost so much, he would be happy spending the rest of his long life jealously guarding the last of what he held dear. _

'_Of course it is,' His tears froze immediately as he drifted into the dark side of the moon, banishing the blue planet from his view. _

'_-But you were never mine in the first place, ya know?'_

_Before he could grow weak, he gathered all the power he had accumulated- borrowed- stole- all his insecurities too, his troubles and worries, condensing them into a singularity which could just as easily create a new sun as it could tear the universe asunder. _

_He only needed it to destroy the moon. Shattering that silvery mirror, thus preventing Madara- or anyone from ever enacting his plan again. The Ten-Tail's husk would be eradicated, and this final attack would scatter the nine Tailed Beasts' Chakra to the furthest corners of the cosmos, where they wouldn't be bothered by pesky humans trying to enslave them. It was a win-win-win._

_-For everyone but him. _

'_At least, I can finally rest.' _

_But the light which consumed everything starting with him was too bright. It promised to rouse him even from death. _

_And if it didn't, the dark voice taunting him from the other side certainly would. _

'_**Silly Naruto-kun, you didn't really think it would be that easy, did you? The fate of this world belongs to someone else… and She will have it back!' **_

_Just as he fell asleep, something else woke up. _

* * *

**NOTE: The title of this chapter is a novel by Roald Dahl (you know, the guy who wrote 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?), and it has to do with the discussion between Blake and Weiss in the library. **


	6. the Theif, the King and I

**Merry Christmas everyone! **

**Ah, yes, the Fourth of July, birth of our lord and savior. One God, under a nation...**

**For those of you heathens that don't know or are unfortunate enough to live in another country, today is Independence Day for the USA, one of the most celebrated and reverent holidays for America and anyone lucky enough to be neighboring us (Canada, Mexico, [Russian spies] you're welcome). It's anathema to make fun or disparage the US on this day of all days (which means that I have the unholy duty to do so). **

**-Not that I don't love the USA. Really, I am glad to be here. In fact, I'm about to go wrangle up my collection of machineguns, throw them in my lifted truck and speed down the 50 miles (not Kommunist Kilometers!) of glorious concrete freeway to go blow my wad in the desert while waving an American flag and playing our national anthem of 'Freebird'. (Tradition!) **

**-Wait, what do you mean I'm out of ammo? Ah, crap. Well, probably for the best. I forgot that I'm broke and barely have health insurance. Guess there's nothing else for me to do but stick around here. **

**In any case, let's get back to celebrating this holiday the right way: with copious amounts of murdering the English (the language, mostly). **

**'Murica! (Obligatory exclamation)**

**(Once again, don't take me too seriously. Please.)**

**P.S. Once again, thanks to all my reviewers, even (especially) those from overseas or just across the borders of this country. And again, if you want a personal message and didn't get one, you're going to have to yell louder. I can't always hear you over the sounds of FREEDOM! **

* * *

"_Is it even alive?"_

_It made sounds, but ones that were inhuman, wailing like air escaping into a vacuum, or tortured spirits trying to sneak past the gates of Hell. Its face was a gargoyle, a crude caricature that consisted of just four holes, all of which seemed permanently gaping in an anguished scream. _

_Yet, none of that was as fearsome as the defensive look from the woman who held it. _

"_Oz…" One word and a crimson gaze promised eternal damnation should he not heed what she had to say. "He's just a __**child**__."_

_Being handed this information was like being handed the… __**child**__ itself, and the silver-haired warrior was unsure what to do with it. Was it supposed to be able to hear with the holes in its head where ears should be? Did it feel- nay, __**breathe**__? have a brain, or was that an empty cask as well?_

"…_How are you even sure it's a he?"_

_As far as the man could see, it was a hideously votive doll half-molded from black clay. Though he had seen a great many things in his life, the wizened man struggled to imagine baby-sized limbs squirming along with its bean-shaped body. _

"_Call it, a mother's intuition." _

_The unearthly beauty had no such problems, her hand ghosting above its bald scalp like it was stroking a gilded crown of hair._

"_Wait-" The warrior sensed danger, and the politician in him read the words like a veiled threat. "You can't mean that-"_

"_And what else would I mean?" Her serene tone was unchanged from when it was used to coo the thing swaddled in her arms. Yet, his mind invented an accusation in that question. "What would you have me do with him?"_

_There was the obvious answer: put it out of its misery. Surely, this travesty of a life was not worth seeing to old age. _

_Yet, he could not do this. He couldn't even bring himself to say the words which would have gone against everything he had ever preached. History would call him a sage, Mankind's first hero since the Fall. But he was just a man himself, one who had made many mistakes and was simply scared of making another one._

_To deny her would be the biggest, and the last, mistake he would ever make. This woman with eyes like comets and hair the color of starlight had seen fit to grace his mortal existence, despite knowing he could not give her children. She loved him, and in return, he had offered her only strife._

_This anguish he was unable to bear himself. He turned his back on the pair and ran a callused hand through his own hair which had long-ago turned ashen with how much of his life he had bartered away. Such sacrifice, so many things he had given up for the world of man including his own happiness. _

_What right did he have to take hers as well?_

"… _Where did… he… even come from?" He did not want to just abscond another's child, as impossible as it seemed for the thing to have a natural parent. _

_Sneaking a look back, the warrior who would not flinch at the largest armies shuddered as the babe seemed to stare back at him with empty eyes. Those craters in the child's face were like the ones in the surface of the moon. They were scars that spoke of a painful history, eons older than the newborn seemed able to comprehend. But in that moment, Ozma the Great and Foolish thought he understood the wretched thing better. _

_They had both lost so much. Had the child been forced to pay the price? A complete body, and a developed mind capable of understanding the pain? And what was he given in return but more hardship? _

_Or, was Oz just superimposing his own loss and failure to bring about peace? _

_With peaceful smile returned, his divine lover answered his previous question with a gesture. She pointed a single finger like an alabaster spire straight up through the thatched roof of their humble home and towards the endless blue sky. _

"_You mean…?" Looking up to the ceiling, the earthly sage could imagine the heavens high above. Stars twinkling in the Southern twilight, giggling giddily at their trick. _

_She nodded. _

"_I guess that means he's an alien, huh?" Although trying to make it sound like a joke, this explanation somehow made things better in his mind. _

"_Mm-hm. He's my little foreigner." _

_Absently speaking, her attention was devoted to playing games with the child's chubby phantom fingers. And the malformed baby who had stopped its tearless crying was pantomiming along, as if it could remember once possessing limbs- perhaps even words beyond the excited squawking. A face. A name._

"_My little Gaijin.(1)" _

* * *

A shrieking cry woke him. Spawned from his dreams, it emanated from the past and pierced through his conscience to be born again from his lips. It startled him from a restive slumber and shook him to his very core.

The headmaster was shaking as he sat up in bed, trembling as he struggled to do something as simple as toss back the covers which trapped him like a child's papoose. Slowly, feeling returned to his limbs as if they needed time themselves to wake up. Meanwhile, his mind rushed to meet with the present.

"I'm sorry…" But the past caught up to him first. "I'm so sorry…"

And for the first time in years, centuries, Ozpin the Great and Powerful cried.

And for the first time, alone.

"I swear… I will fix this."

* * *

Jaune looked up in fear at the finishing blow, the ruthless bludgeon eclipsing the stage lights looked exactly like a meteor about to come crashing down on where he stood. A single blow to wipe his unique species off the face of Remnant. He was going to die.

Actually, that's not true. Jaune was scared, **and **there was a spiked mace about to be dropped onto his mop of yellow hair. But surprisingly, the two events had very little to do with one another. The Arc would die, but likely, not today.

"Stop!"

The lights came on, but the fear remained, even as the metal club was lowered unthreateningly to the ground. Across from him, Cardin Winchester scoffed as he was denied total victory.

"It's been two weeks now, Mr. Arc," His conscience chimed in with the voice of Glynda Goodwitch as the woman herself strode up to the two combatants. "Please make use of your scroll to gauge your Aura level. It will help you decide when to use a more… defensive strategy."

Jaune did not even defend himself from this accusation. Instead, he glanced up at the arena's leaderboard where his holographic mugshot stared back, its cheeks stained red from the glow of his Aura counter. That fake person would have to feel humility in his place, because the living, breathing boy was somewhere other than the sparring rink.

Two weeks. It had been exactly fourteen days since the official start of their semester and nine since their deal with fate- which was twenty-four hours past due.

Yesterday, Jaune and his team had returned to the Emerald Forest, to that spot where their familiar footprints led. But they found no Grimm- well, not the one they were expecting. Instead, more of the ornery herds that team RWBY had reported encountering were there to greet them. Fighting them off was good exercise for Jaune at least. But a poor distraction.

Glynda might have commented on Jaune's distraction as the questionably qualified leader slumped out of the ring, urging him to get to be on time. While admittedly suffering from lack of sleep, Jaune was never so focused.

-Just not on the class. And he didn't need a Scroll app to tell him that he was already living on borrowed time.

"He's late," Restating this fact for the umpteenth time since yesterday, it did nothing but make his already anxious teammates more nervous. But as we ourselves reiterate, Jaune wasn't paying attention. He hadn't even noticed when the class ended, still blindly muttering to himself while his teammates escorted him through the halls to the next one. "One week. Seven days- you sure he said, 'next Sunday'?"

"Yes, quite sure." Patient, even when leading his so-called leader by the arm down the halls, Ren himself was no less distraught by this apparent change of plans. "Three days to and from, a day or so 'for business', next Sunday _at the latest_."

"Overconfidence! The downfall of many a Loyal Knight."

Ren shot his partner a baleful stare, though Nora missed the look of admonishment as she was shaking her head and tutting to herself. But Ren himself did not miss the nervous shudder in her shoulders, which clearly decried that the 'queen' was not as blissfully unaware as she pretended.

Not like Jaune.

"He's late. There's two possibilities that I can see, and neither of them are good." Jaune found himself enclosed by comic book conspiracies, unaware of the concerned faces of his friends surrounding him. "One: he… lost to the Four-Tails."

In addition to being inconceivable, it was a tad difficult to see this as a bad thing- disappointing, perhaps, to the ones seeking revenge. But his potential failure would demonstrate that _nothing _and _no one _was invincible. True, they weren't anywhere near this glass ceiling yet. But now they knew it existed. And this clear illumination allowed hope to sprout once again.

However, dark clouds in the form of Grimm hordes were quick to roll in like they had during his absence. If the battle of existentialism was over, then the real fight had just begun again with gusto. Beyond the inevitable deluge of Grimm, there would then _still_ be the menace of the Four-Tails and the unpalatable fact that Jin had been right: there were monsters out there _worse _than him.

None of them were sure which alternative was worse.

"Or, two: …" Ahead of his teammates now, Jaune turned around to regard them with a hollow face that told them exactly which option he was most afraid of. "He won. He ate the Four-Tails, and now he's strong enough that he doesn't think he needs Ozpin to hide him. Which means that not only can he take on the headmaster, he can take on whole Kingdoms. We've- we might have given him exactly what he needs, we've unleashed a monster upon the world!"

The statement rang inappropriately loud in the hallways. But JNPR was more aghast at how profoundly it resounded in their minds, and so no longer cared who overheard their conspiracy.

"You're assuming that he couldn't do so already."

The new voice was no more shocking than the audacity of the claim. And the fact that it came from one of their fellow first-years did not reassure them as much as it probably should have.

Weiss stood behind them with her weight on her back foot and a look that was more aloof than contemptable on her face. One arm wrapped around her hip, the other supported a single finger in rebuttal.

"What if even before the entrance exam 'He' had already been strong enough to take on, say… the entire Atlas military? Then your logic falls apart." Hard enough to swallow this suggestion, the members of JNPR couldn't understand how Weiss of all people did not choke on these words. As she paced towards them unthreateningly- almost _lazily _– the four students also realized a change in the stiff woman they couldn't quite quantify.

"Then why hasn't he?" Ren asked, as the only one whose brain seemed to still be functioning.

Shrugging with that one lofted hand, Weiss seemed unconcerned with the lack of evidence.

"Who knows? It isn't even certain if normal Grimm have a brain, so I don't think we can guess what goes through his skull. And as far as we know, Grimm live for as long as they consume. If he's the same, I'd hesitate to ascribe any of our 'mortal' logic to his actions." Not giving them a chance to pontificate on this idea, Weiss held up another finger like a commandment. "Furthermore, there's a third possibility that you're overlooking. Even if he _is_ immortal, that doesn't mean he's unkillable. What if he and the Four-Tails eliminated one another? Wouldn't that be the best possible outcome? Two threats would be gone, and we wouldn't be able to say one way or another if there are any more extant threats. Not only that, but in any of those cases, it seems to me that Pyrrha would be off the hook."

The way Weiss casually dropped this information was more unsteadying than the earthshaking footfall of a Tailed Beast. _That_ part of the exchange was something JNPR had kept between themselves- and really, it was something they should have thought of earlier.

"How did you-?"

"Lastly," As her pinky joined her ring and middle finger, that most dainty of appendages silenced the questions which were irrelevant compared to these overarching points. "Worrying about it is irrelevant. There's nothing we can do right now but focus on ourselves so that someday we _might_ make a difference." Looking specifically at Jaune, the wry twist of her lips was a change from outright contempt but didn't make the heartbroken boy feel any better. "The Grimm's alive or he's dead. And we will live with it either way. There are plenty of mundane problems for us to worry about."

Many more questions remained than those three given answers could satisfy. But the longer the silence went on and the arguments had a chance to soak in, less of those contentions seemed critical.

"Not that we aren't grateful for the council," Unsure if he was being sarcastic or not, Ren coughed in his hand to obscure the difference and Weiss politely ignored it. "But why are you here? Shouldn't you be with your team in class?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Weiss scoffed, a token amount of her haughty attitude returning for the fleer. "I volunteered to come find out how things went in the Forest yesterday. But I guess my question already got answered, huh?"

"I'm going back there today, after class." Pyrrha spoke up for the first time since leaving Glynda's arena. "You're all forgetting the last possibility, that he's simply late." Though she regaled them with one of her patented smiles, that gesture alone could not placate her compatriots' surprise and concern. "I think we've established by now that no one is perfect."

"Y-yes, well…" Both hands fell to her waist to hold herself together as Weiss turned away. Pyrrha's warm gaze heating her cheeks and betrayed her cool countenance.

"Wait- what?" With a shake of his head, Jaune finally joined the shared reality. "P-Pyrrha, you don't mean to say that you're going back alone!"

"Why not?" She asked, feigning the nonchalance Weiss had so artfully displayed. "He was pretty clear that he didn't want you there, Jaune. And there is no need for Ren or Nora to tag along. Besides, I am only going to check and see if he's back. If he is, there shouldn't be much resistance from the other Grimm. And if not, I won't be staying long. It'll be fine."

"And if it won't be?"

Pyrrha's confidence took a hit from this simple question, the first one she could remember Weiss asking her as a person and not a celebrity. It was a turning point that was unfortunately tainted by the current situation.

"If anything goes wrong, we'll tell Ozpin." Jaune answered automatically. He'd made this resolution earlier in the day, also realizing that it might not make a difference. "And if he's still not back, I'm gonna tell Ozpin too. All of it."

"As if he doesn't already know…" Weiss muttered, casting a surreptitious look around the deserted hall for any hidden camera which might lead back to the man behind the curtain.

No one heard her though. Or if they did, they pretended not to as it was yet another concern they didn't know how to deal with.

"I believe you are right, in any case," Turning back to Weiss, Ren returned them to the script. "We all need to focus more on what we can, which includes training and studies. It might only be falsely reassuring, but it is better than doing nothing. I would suggest that our two teams get together and set a schedule where we can help each other after class."

"Um, speaking of learning, schedule and all that…" Suddenly alert and aware, Jaune held up his scroll to note the time. "Shouldn't we like, I don't know… be _in _class right now?"

"…"

"Oooh…"

"Ah, crud."

"Oh well," Weiss again shrugged off the concern and any other more explicit statements of dismay. "It's not like it matters if we're late to Port's class."

Halting again in their urgency, the members of JNPR all glanced at the intruder in their midst as if that label was more than just figurative. Just who was this laid-back girl who looked like their resident Schnee?

"What?" Weiss huffed, not needing to feign this indignancy. "It's true, isn't it?!"

No one knew what to think anymore.

* * *

Weiss's change in behavior was befuddling. Though Pyrrha had to admit, no more so than any of the others, including her own. Everyone had a different but equally profound reaction when confronted with their own mortality. Which, she supposed, was why the grim entity who had caused it was so captivating.

This morbid fascination was probably why she was back here in his domain, again. She wanted to know more about this strange land she thought she knew, and the equally enigmatic creatures which inhabited it.

Curiosity was one of the many excuses she repeated to herself along the journey deeper into the Emerald Forest. On that wandering route, Pyrrha could weave herself any story she pleased to justify her erratic actions. And there was no one to tell her otherwise.

Walking alone into the lion's den, she could claim to be protecting her teammates. She was convinced that true friends such as hers were worth this hardship- at the same time, convincing herself these bonds were real. Besides, Pyrrha had already struck a bond with the devil, bartering her life away. She wanted to keep the rest from making the same mistake.

It was a selfish sacrifice, she knew. Part of her understood that she wanted to be the heroine, and that this was a challenge that she wanted to surmount all on her own

-No, again, not a challenge. He was so abjectly out of her league that comparing the two would mean nothing- _less_ than nothing if she were to perish at his hands. Instead, the Grimm beast who called himself simply 'Jin' was something more. He was something Pyrrha hadn't known in so long, that she almost forgot what it was:

A goal.

She wanted to be able to stand up and face this goal unflinchingly. If only she could do this and not back down, she would be happy.

That was the story that she stuck to for the rest of the trip.

But the story she was actively wading into was old, primordial like the trees. Each lonely footfall felt like a sacrament as the dew-coated grass baptized her bare things. And high above the cathedral of branches, a gentle breeze whispered an ancient hymnal.

The afterschool sun sunk low, and the greenery was set ablaze by the dying day. Some of light's fleeing rays snuck through the macramé of leaves and gilded the path ahead of her like verses on an ancient manuscript. Pyrrha followed this illuminated trail as she would lines of text, its logic leading to the inevitable dichotomy:

Light and Dark. Good and Evil.

Human and Beast.

Before she realized where it was all going, Pyrrha found herself across from the object of her dreams and nightmares. She froze, wrapped in the blackness of that green forest and stared out at the monstrous being which was bathed in golden light.

That creature which fancied himself a man was reposed underneath the only tree left standing. All the other foliage had been carelessly cleared away, encircling him in a bright open glade. He was sprawled lifelessly on his side with the red and white cloak draped over him as a blanket- or perhaps a funeral pall. The garment's gay hues had been darkened, stained by blood so dark that the white only bled through like an overexposed photograph.

It was indeed picturesque- but melancholic. A disconcerting stillness choked the open air of the clearing. A smell like drenched ash told of a conflagration and an ending.

Death. Much death.

His eyes were closed, thank the gods. Else, she wouldn't have dared go a foot further.

Why did she take another step, anyway? Why get closer when every part of her- instinct and experience- said to just slowly turn back? His bewitching eyes were shut and no longer an excuse, but she was nonetheless compelled to approach the unmoving beast. With every creeping inch her senses heightened, at the same time the sensations themselves became stronger. Pressure mounted and even the unobscured light seemed to dim. It was like diving to the depths of a brackish sea and she could hardly breathe-

"**Do it." **

She choked. Hand frozen extended in the act of counting coup(2), still a hair's breadth from her goal. But the armored shell had already cracked open, revealing a blood-red pearl taunting her from the depths.

"**Do it. Take that spear and take back your life." **The command was deep but soft- hardly an order at all but a plea made through worlds of oceans. **"You will not get a better chance." **

But she couldn't. The weapons in her hands were lead weights which she could not let go of nor raise in malice. She could not even defend herself, still drowning in the depths of the lone eye staring at her from darkness.

"N-no," She burbled a refusal with her last puff of air and shook her head over the sound of her ears ringing. "That's not who I am. That's not why I'm here…"

"**Then…"** Colors shifted like an octopus, and something became something else beneath the robed surface.

"**You are a fool." **

There was simply no time to attack or defend as four tails like tentacles wormed out and lashed around her limbs. They squeezed, forcing Pyrrha to drop her weapons with a starved gasp. She was raised into the air as the Grimm raised himself to his feet in one fell swoop, stepping forward to stand upon her tools with his clawed feet to ensure she couldn't get to them.

She was trapped.

"**So, why **_**are**_** you here this time?" **Pyrrha struggled to even explain her original purpose as she fought against the binds spreading her like a dried and gutted fish. **"Are you really so eager to see your… **_**bondage**_** fulfilled?" **

A lopsided smirk showed some teeth in the side of his mouth and a surprisingly pink tongue poked out from in between. Licking black lips, it tasted the air while looking for something more. It was enough to make Pyrrha feel like she was going to be… devoured.

This had been one possible fate among many- but no, it hadn't happened yet, so it wouldn't happen… shouldn't... Pyrrha tried to tell herself this, but the fact that words wouldn't come to her was part of the problem.

"**Let no one ever say that I don't leave a woman speechless…"** Her fear was palpable, it was in every drop of perspiration that slipped from her skin to his. ** "-And though I hate to disappoint, I am a bit tired today. Perhaps you'd just like to cuddle?" **

Given a slight reprieve, Pyrrha took the opportunity to gather herself- as much as she could with limbs splayed and the animalistic leer busy taking her apart layer by layer.

"You were late," She tried to keep her voice even and not sound offended. Nor did she wish to offend, her irritation with these games was curbed by the reality that at any moment they could become deathly serious. "We thought-"

"**Aw, concerned over little ol' me?" **Arms and legs still locked, another muscular appendage flicked around from the background to trail its way up her side and tease her cheek. **"As you can see, I'm here, and at 125%." **

Pyrrha had tried to not look directly at him for fear of being led back to those eyes which would entrap her mind as much as her body. But with the same curiosity that brought her to this impasse, she confirmed that there were now _five _tails haloed around his monstrous figure.

And though his silhouette was indeed monstrous and unfamiliar, there were things there that she couldn't help but relate to. Forced to look at him by the tail wrapping itself around her chin, she could still ignore the strange hunger in his stare while she was drawn to something disturbingly recognizable.

"You're hurt."

"**-Just a scratch."** As ludicrous as her comment was his denial. She was the one held captive, but _he _was the one who flinched back like a zoogoer when the predator rattled the bars. **"Is it so surprising? We all bleed. Even me… Even invincible girls." **

Rage restored him faster and more faithfully than her logic. One cruel claw was all it took to pop her Aura like a balloon, the nail reaching past it to paint a thin red line on her neck. Sickeningly slow, painfully and gently he dragged it down past her choker, down, down…

"**Although, perhaps you came here to bleed…" **

"The deal," Pain had the opposite effect from what he desired, incensing instead of intimidating. The sensation grounded the warrior in her boots, even if her feet weren't on the ground. "Did you do it? I suppose you killed the Four T- Son Goku. But what about the village? Ren and Nora's families?"

"**Hmph," **He snorted, scowled more than before when his fun had been cut short. But with a flick of his free tail, he waved away her concern and wiped off the insignificant trickle of blood, sealing the discussion and the wound. **"Of course. Doesn't the news reach here? -Or is Old Ozzy censoring my deeds again? Bah! Ungrateful old coot. Some of my finest work too…" **

"So, it's done?" She felt relief at this, but it quickly vanished along with her loophole.

"**Since you don't know, I guess you'll just have to go there and see for yourself, won't you?" **Giving her a more casual but no less caustic smile, it nevertheless seemed like the worst of the torture both physical and mental was over. He transferred her from the four crucifying restraints to the one which just wrapped around her waist and carried her like a torch- still making sure she couldn't get away. **"I'm sure you'll get a chance when you get a break for these so-called 'holidays' or whatever. -Not like I ever get a break! I'm gone for an extra day and this place goes to rot! What does the BDSM Witch have you kids doing that you can't keep the woods clear of Grimm for a couple days?" **

"Um, sorry about that," For the first time Pyrrha felt strange apologizing. Though one might say that the strange shift in conversation warranted it. It might even explain what came out of her mouth next: "Was that how you got injured?"

No longer being fixed on the rack, Pyrrha was free to look at her surroundings once again. The location was the same as the last time, but the landscape was different. She imagined that Jin had returned from defeating the Four Tails, exhausted and bedraggled. Only to then deal with a Grimm infestation like termites in his own home, tearing half of it down in the process.

"**I'm fine!" **

With a vehemence that sounded like childish petulance, he denied the mangled flesh on his left side and the fragments of his breastbone which resembled a dried lakebed. Proving his health, he continued to absently pace and snap at random debris that littered his habitat. He probably wasn't even aware when his hand shot out behind his back, reaching for his cloak to cover the injury- or perhaps his hat to cover his chagrin, or just to prove that he could.

-Because it turned out, he couldn't. His outstretched hand recoiled with a cringe, and his tail nearly dropped Pyrrha who squeaked in surprise. **"So help me…" **He gnashed with one hand clamped to his side.** "I will not have **_**pity **_**from some bleeding-heart woman." **

"No, not pity," Quick to deny this with the one tail synching tighter around her chest and cutting off her air flow, Pyrrha tried to find the right words in time. "I Just… know how you feel-"

She was certain that the sounds of her ribs cracking could be heard throughout the clearing, and that it was also the cause of his tight-lipped smile.

"**No, you really don't." **

"You- hurt-!" She hurt. The tail had stopped getting tighter. But it hadn't let up and if it didn't, Pyrrha knew her time would soon be. During the outburst, Jin had moved so that he was no longer standing on her weapons. It was time for desperate action. She had to do something. "Being alone… unwanted… hurts-"

Pyrrha was suddenly and inexplicably alone. No longer constrained by the living lashings, she was as free as a bird with the wind whipping through her hair and held by nothing including gravity.

Mother Nature scoffed at this presumption of freedom and then bitch-slapped some sense into her with a tree. And then another. Then it ground her into the dirt for good measure. By the end of her flight, the moral of the lesson had been lost as she was thrashed senseless.

And then, the abomination to Man and Nature came back to teach her all over again. He plodded over to her with heavy footsteps which became all the heavier when they were standing on her chest. Her Aura was now long gone, but the pain continued as he pinned her against the ground. One talon sat between her breasts and deprived her of air while the other two pincered her on either side and were crushing her cuirass like tinfoil.

"**It's funny. I pegged the pipsqueak as the naïve dreamer of your group." **He tried to be offhand about this remark, but there was clear spite as he gazed down at the life he was squashing between his toes. **"But it's inevitable. Some always need a… **_**stronger **_**message than others." **

With the world always assuming things came easy for her, Pyrrha would be otherwise happy to be labeled a slow learner. She would be proud to fight and prove her worth- if only she wasn't fighting simply to exist.

"**I told you, I'm not a bad guy- well, not the **_**worst.**_**" **He continued with a speech that he knew by heart, just as well as he knew how much pressure he could use while keeping her alive. **"-Yet, why do people keep insisting on trying to **_**fix **_**me? They assume that I am like **_**them,**_** and they take my handouts for kindness- I am for me! That's all there is to it!" **

The tails planted themselves as columns all around her, distributing the weight as he leaned in so close that his canine nose was practically kissing hers. The force on her chest had alleviated just enough that Pyrrha could breathe in his spicy scent, but not enough for to protest. Each breath, each feverish blink, each harried thought was focused on the life bearing down on her. The one hers now depended on.

"_**And I am not broken!"**_

"No," Ill able to afford it, Pyrrha nonetheless admitted this fact with the trickle of air left in her lungs. "You're just- Lost!"

Pyrrha wasn't simply going to lay down and take these remonstrations, not going to let words be put into her mouth. And above all, she wasn't going to lose without putting up a fight.

Not being able to move anything else, Pyrrha threw her face into his. Never did she think that her armored tiara would serve such a practical purpose as it protected her forehead against his thick skull- honestly, she wasn't thinking at all, giving into the desperation and a twisted sense of excitement. This was a fight that truly mattered.

Fighting against what felt like the weight of a pantheon pressing down on her, she was barely able to buck the lone demon. The action made a gap between them barely the thickness of her armor, and it was just enough to slip out of the mangled cuirass. The metal itself helped her to undress, leaping to life at the call of its master. Steel wrapped itself around Jin's foot at the behest of her magnetic Semblance, capping the claws and allowing her to shove it aside unharmed.

She was quick to wriggle out from underneath. Her tool was only slightly slower to leap into her hand as it flew from all the way back in the clearing. Grabbing on to the sailing shield, she let the ballistic mass carry her away from the cage of tails. Once out, she rolled seamlessly into a defensive crouch with the slab of metal interposed between them- for all the good that it would do.

For what little she could do, Pyrrha was willing to try.

"**So," **Hardly surprised by her escape, if Pyrrha had to guess, she would say that his smirk seemed almost pleased based on the vindicated twitch of his tails. **"You **_**do **_**have some fight left in you. Not that it will help mu-"**

"Enough!" The exceptionally strong Grimm might have been correct, and it didn't matter much if Pyrrha held her shield sturdy against his attacks or let it slip to the side. Her strength was in defiance. "Enough of the games. What is it you want from me? Am I supposed to be a toy for you?"

"**Yes," **Though he said this as casually as he said anything, from his black lips it became a cruelty. **"You are mine to do with as I please. I will play with you however I want for as long as I can until I break you."**

"But you won't." But for the fear that was supposed to be there, Pyrrha matched his factual tone as she met his dizzying eyes unwaveringly. "Can't you see that? You've stripped me of my title and shown me that I am nothing more than a _girl._ But in return, you've given me a world that's so much larger and fulfilling than I could have ever imagined. You may be stronger than I'll ever be, but all that means is that I will never stop fighting."

Out of all the things Pyrrha had told herself since leaving Beacon that afternoon, this might have been closest to the truth. But there was something more, something he was actively searching for as well, with eyes scrunched in scrutiny and the curiosity of a kit fox.

And in turn, she was looking back, trying to find the iridescent pearl of truth in his eyes which she had seen before. The one she thought had looked like a tear.

"**Hmm." **Perpetual gruffness hid something within this noise which sounded like resignation. Sadness? And though he turned his back on her before she could decipher it, his tails continued to flicker and undulate with the sparks of synapses firing off in an internal conflict. **"I suppose we will see."**

It took a few seconds, but finally Pyrrha blinked herself away from the trance from which her words flowed. Another moment or so was needed for her comprehend that she had been dismissed, and then some minutes to turn her back and limp away from the pensive Grimm.

Not until she was nearly halfway back to Beacon did it occur to her that she might not have gotten the answer she came for. Though within the satisfied soreness of a job well-done, she appeared to have gotten exactly what she needed.

She had won.

* * *

"**So…" **Speaking to the desolation left after Pyrrha disappeared, Jin lifted his vulpine nose to the air and drunk in the scent of the woods inexorably mixed with his own musk. **"You enjoy the show, Oba-chan?(3)" **

From the emptiness of the question and the woods appeared Glynda Goodwitch, stiff as any one of the trees, but her bottled rage was a blight upon the stillness just invited in.

"**-Or were you just looking for a chance to try and **_**satisfy**_** me yourself?" **He turned to face her apoplectic rage, her weapon hand quivering as it was forcibly restrained by her other one. **"I've got to warn you though, the way I am right now… things might get a little rough." **

Though she ought to have more experience dealing with the Man-Grimm's mannerisms by now, Glynda was ironically not nearly as schooled as her student in shrugging off his impertinence- nor his appalling innuendo. As she had observed the encounter from the sidelines, she had been barely able to hold herself back from intervening. Explicit orders and faith- both in Ozpin and in her star pupil- had kept her hidden.

-To hell with the fact that she probably would not have been able to do anything, anyway. She _should _have gotten involved long ago, before Jin came here, and certainly before things had a chance to escalate this far. Now Glynda was only able to console her guilt with the fact that Jin knew she had been there the whole time.

Although, whether that made things better or worse wasn't something she wanted to look too deeply into.

"Ozpin… would like to have a word with you." She managed to get the message across through clenched teeth and an arm that wouldn't obey her command to stand down. She had to constantly remind it not to launch several projectiles at the Jinchῡriki, who might smile and laugh them off or bear his fangs in another way.

"**Funny, I was just thinking the same." **Scoffing at her uncontrollable threat, he parsed over the few choice words he would have for the headmaster. He needed to find ones which wouldn't give the man incentive to investigate further. **"Been too long since Oz and I had a friendly chat."**

His agreement was so surprising to Glynda that she temporarily suspended her internal struggle. Moments later, both halves became wholly against the idea. As a rule of thumb, whatever the Grimm wanted couldn't be good. And if it coincided with Ozpin's plans, that only made it worse.

"And, the headmaster would be _obliged _if this conversation were to happen… in his office."

"**Ha," **As he paced, Jin flexed his claws as if he were prepping them for dealing with the tiny cups… or ripping out the silver-haired man's throat. **"Heh, heh, heh, so, Ozzy trusts me enough to play his game now? Well fine, let him continue to think that. I'll see him on his turf, and I promise I'll be on my **_**best **_**behavior." **

Even more disturbed by this undisguised scheming, Glynda could do nothing but take him at his word and report that to Ozpin.

Though as she left and Jin felt the last vestiges of Aura disappear from his cloister, he let his sharp smile wither into a scowl.

"**They all choose to see the good, no matter how little there is left in me. Why? Is that trifling amount truly worth more than all the rest? Life is more than the sum of its parts, and yet…**

A buzzing from behind excited his smirk, and he pulled out the slim device from where it was pinched between his tails.

For once, the image of the idiotic blond boy as it appeared on the screen did not bother him. In fact, Jin smiled harder at the portrait on caller ID and mouthed the label underneath which read 'Jaune', all the while the stolen Scroll continued to ring silently.

"**-Personally, I would gladly lose myself entirely. I would sacrifice it all, good and bad. Because in the end, victory **_**is mine!**_**"**

* * *

"…I can't win, can I?"

More resignedly than morose, Jaune appraised his situation with the benefit of unlimited time and the clarity of hindsight- even though he physically could not look behind himself or even turn around.

"Hang on Jaune, I'm comin'!"

"Um, Ruby, just what are you doing back there-?"

"Hya!"

With one great jolt, Jaune found himself detached from the doorframe and introduced to the polished floorboards where he skidded until caught by the opposite wall.

"Erk, sorry about that, Jaune." Approaching slower this time, Ruby craned her neck over the boy who was lying prone with his shield turtling over whatever injuries she had inadvertently caused.

But Jaune didn't much care about his new case of road-rash or even the recurrent bout of humiliation. Ruby's apology just reminded him of the person who had lately been getting him out of these sticky situations, but who wasn't here right now.

"It's alright, Ruby." Accepting the hand up from his fellow leader, Jaune dusted off the worst of the damage and was finally able to reach around and compact his ungainly shield.

"I thought it was wedged harder than that," Still chagrinned, the youngest Beacon student was focused on making the tips of her fingers meet, not realizing that Jaune wasn't even looking at her. "I guess I didn't need that much of a running start, huh? Heh, heh… um, Jaune?"

"Uh?" Jaune finally replied, lamely. It was still better than the lack of reply from Pyrrha, as his messages continued to go direct to mail. "Sorry Ruby, what was that?"

"Why do you let Cardin do these things to you?"

Genuinely confused, Jaune could have sworn that hadn't been what she asked, and he frankly didn't know where this question had come from.

"Cardin? So what? He's just kidding around."

"He's a bully."

Both came to a halt, Ruby slightly after Jaune who blinked as if he hadn't recognized this basic truth. He hadn't even realized they had just come out of a leadership meeting with their 'fellow' first-year captain.

"Yeah," Jaune admitted, head flopping back to face the 'bully'. Cardin Winchester was laughing heartily after rejoining his like-minded team. Whether their jubilation was at the prank he pulled on Jaune or not, didn't concern him. "So what?"

"So?" Catching up the few paces to her friend, Ruby kept the distracted boy walking away from the other first-years. Those other teens were in the same class but totally different worlds. "You can't let them walk all over you! You have to stand up for yourself like you did with _you-know-who_."

"Ruby, what are you talking about?" Knowing exactly who she meant yet, Jaune was no less distraught without mentioning his name. "I don't think _anyone _could stand up to that guy, let alone me! It's like he takes offence at my very existence. I barely kept from pissing my pants last time!"

"Exactly!" Seeing that her fellow captain was dumbfounded by her point, Ruby figured she ought to explain. "Ji- _you-know-who's _the biggest baddie around. Compared to him, Cardin's nothing."

"Exactly," Jaune repeated his friend's exclamation without nearly as much enthusiasm. "Cardin's nothing, so there's no reason to bother with him."

"But he'll continue to pick on you if you don't show him that you won't stand for it." Ruby groused, steadily growing frustrated that her friend wasn't getting it.

"And what am I supposed to do about Jin? - also, would you stop the whole '_you-know-who' _thing? I'm getting some serious copyright infringement vibes." Jaune himself was getting frustrated, though he knew he had no right to. "-And if you say: 'stand up to him', I'm gonna start thinking you're on Cardin's side."

"Wha- no way!" Realizing she was trapped in a no-win scenario, Ruby let out a huff of contention and folded her arms in a pout. "Maybe… have you ever wondered _why _Jin seems to dislike you in particular?"

"Who knows, maybe 'cause I'm a coward?" They both walked a few steps before Jaune realized this might just prove his young friend's point. "-As far as I can tell, I haven't done anything to him. He just seems to hate my face."

While Jaune had hoped to coax a laugh by striking a pose to accent his 'heroic' mien, Ruby looked to be seriously considering this possibility. Previously, Ruby had been the one leading them, but now she seemed to be so engrossed with her idea that she walked parallel to him, directionless.

"Hmm…"

"What?"

"Nothing, it just that…" Ruby bit her bottom lip to resist the first words that wanted to come from her mouth. "…One time, I got so mad at Yang that I didn't speak to her for almost a week."

Blinking in surprise for what seemed like an abrupt turn in conversation, Jaune realized they had also quite literally turned a corner and were outside in the gardens where he and Ruby met the very first day- before it all went to shit.

"I was so upset that I didn't even want to look at her. Whenever she would walk in the door, I would turn my back on her. A few nights I spent on the couch so I wouldn't have to share our room. Later, I would go to bed early so I could pull the sheets over my head and pretend to be asleep."

"What happened?" Jaune was now as curious to where this conversation was going as to where they were. Having a score of sisters himself, he could imagine several plausible ways to earn their ire. But nothing seemed appropriate for these two siblings who looked so different but appeared so close.

"It was nothing, really." Ruby admitted with a sad smile as she stared out at the Emerald Forest. From where they stood, it looked so lush and inviting. "I had a crush on a boy back at Signal. Yang found out, and she told him even though I begged her not to."

"That's-uh, that-"

"That's it, I know. Seems so silly looking back, but at the time I was really upset." The smile disappeared from her face and all that was left was sadness. "But I know why. It's because… it was because, that's what my mom would have done. I was always the timid one, and she was always trying to get me to be more sociable. I think that was because in school, _she _was the shy one and knew that no matter how uncomfortable it was, in the end it would be better for me. She never pushed me to do things in a forceful way, though. Not like how Yang did it. That's what made me so upset, because I felt like Yang was trying to take Mom's place after she died. I wonder sometimes now if that's why she's always so wild nowadays. Because if she weren't, she'd be trying to mother me all the time."

Now Ruby could laugh at it, smile back at the darkness which lay just underneath that frieze of familiarity.

"And the reason I didn't want to see or speak to my Sis was because I knew that if I did, I would have forgiven her much sooner. I love them both too much to stay mad. But for whatever reason, I wanted to be mad. Maybe not at her, but at something."

Now Jaune understood- as best he could, anyway. Although, it was mostly about why he _couldn't _comprehend their family dynamic. Jaune had not experienced death except for those few brushes in the past weeks. However, it seemed like everyone else in their little group was far more intimate with bereavement; Ruby, Yang, Ren, Nora, even Weiss had all lost someone. Another thing which made him an outsider.

"When he was with the headmaster… it's hard to say, but it felt like Jin was still trying to coax you into staying here. Maybe… maybe I'm wrong, but perhaps he doesn't want to see you because you remind him of something painful, someone… familiar."

Trying to see whatever it was that his friend was looking at way out on the horizon, Jaune's eyes kept drifting down to the edge of the forest where it always felt like the monster was watching. Every time he glanced there it seemed like something moved, something unknown became something else… familiar.

There was something coming out of the woods, shock of red forming out of the green to become recognizable.

"Pyrrha?!"

Without another word Jaune was off, leaving Ruby and the conversation on the hilltop. But no slouch and no less concerned about their comrade, his fellow captain wasn't far behind.

"Hello." The weary warrior greeted them tiredly from far away, her hand barely able to wave.

Stricken by shock, they came to a screeching halt in front of her. Although, they didn't know which was the more arresting: the woman's lack of energy, or her seeming lack of dress.

"Pyrrha… what happened?!"

"Oh, um…" Somehow only now noticing that she was wearing nothing above the waist but a cream-colored sports bra, Pyrrha had to rethink the story she had been preparing for the entire walk back. "-Just a spar that got a bit out of hand. It was my fault, really."

"You sparred with _It/Him_?!" The dissonant shouts hit her at nearly the same time, so similar in words but abjectly different in pitch and intent. "Are you hurt?! Where's your armor? Why didn't you answer any of my calls? Did you-?"

"I'm fine," However, through raising a hand to placate her captain's horror, Pyrrha discovered another bruised rib. She tried and likely failed to hide the wince. "…Really. Although, I could probably use a new breastplate, and I also seem to have misplaced my scroll…"

"No, no, no, this is not good, not at all." Gone were the confidence and competence Jaune had been building up between the leadership meetings and support from his comrades. In a single second he was back to being a blubbering mess. Although, a mess with delusions of martyrdom. "That bastard, I swear I'm gonna-"

"What? What are you going to do, Jaune?" While she indulged her leader for his concern, Pyrrha was not about to suffer his suicidal need for vengeance. Even if she knew the rebuke would hurt him almost as much as it hurt her.

"…I'm gonna tell Ozpin."

"-No!" Realizing she'd shouted, Pyrrha calmed them all down with smooth gestures, making sure not to raise her hands above her shoulders. "…No, it was all my fault for getting hurt. I took things too far. We don't need to mention any of this to the headmaster. If we do, what happened in Mistral will come back to us."

"What _did _happen there? Did Jin tell you?"

"Unfortunately, not exactly," It was easy enough to make her soreness look like regret, Pyrrha then gave the other girl a grateful smile for changing the subject. "We expected that he wouldn't be too forthcoming with information. However, he wasn't exactly trying to hide anything from me, either. Whatever he did in Mistral was apparently obvious enough to be in the news."

"Funny, you think we would have heard of something like that." Though their schedules hadn't left much time for outside interests, Ruby did have a point. "Did you check your- ah, right, you said you might have lost your Scroll."

"He- also said that Ozpin might be covering it up." Pyrrha evaded, eager to cover up her own mishap.

"I don't know…" Except that the headmaster had already admitted to doing as much. This was just a general statement from Jaune who was clearly out of his depth and simply doing his best to tread water. "I don't trust that Jin guy at all- and I _don't_ like what he did to you, accident or no. But still, if we don't tell Ozpin that, what _can _we do?"

"We could always tell the headmaster the truth…" Ruby muttered with the whine of a dead horse.

"…I still vote for waiting until the research paper comes closer, that way we can at least say we were trying to find information on our subject, instead of coming to him with a whole bunch of suspicious questions."

Pyrrha watched the two captains halfheartedly debate a topic they'd clearly rehashed several times before with her gaze narrowed to match the position of an outsider. She realized that it was all a game, what they were trying to do now was no different from Ozpin's enigmatic scheming- they were probably playing right into his hand.

And she… was she equally unaware of role she played?

"In any case," With a sigh that said their discussion was moot, Jaune turned to Pyrrha at the same time she returned from the dark thought. "Even if you're not _that_ injured, you're obviously are gonna need rest after the day you've had. Don't worry about giving me a hand, alright, Pyrrha?"

Blinking in the face of this non-sequitur, the exhausted redhead wasn't sure if she had missed something in the dialog.

"It's too bad really," Smiling in self-depreciation, Jaune was clearly trying to diffuse the tension but was unfortunately doing a poor job of it. "With how exhausted you look, I might have actually stood a chance of winning a spar, heh, heh, heh… although, not really."

The promise. She had promised to help Jaune with his fighting form- or lack thereof. The pledge had slipped from her mind during last week's series of sleepless nights.

And now… she was so tired. Honestly, too tired to even contemplate making it to their dorm so she could collapse in her own bed. This goal would only be possible if she didn't think about it. If she just started walking now, her feet might take her there.

But there were things more important than rest, things she didn't need to think about doing.

"I'm so sorry, Jaune." She apologized.

"Ah, don't worry about it," Waving her off with the ease that Pyrrha had been unable to manage, Jaune was giving an honest try at looking unbothered by this all. "I'm more worried about you. I know there's no blood… not much, anyway. But can I give you hand back to the dorm… or infirmary?"

He certainly could, and there would be very little Pyrrha could do to stop it. Still, even though he probably should, even though he could have final word as captain of their team, he foolishly gave the option to her.

"That's alright. I'll manage." She managed to give him a confident smile, the kind which her tabloids couldn't get enough of. After, she wondered why she did it.

"You're welcome to train with us, Jaune." Seeing her chance to reenter the conversation as something other than a third pair of training wheels, Ruby offered him one of the few things she could.

And Pyrrha could not fault the other girl for doing so. She ought to be grateful to Ruby for acting beyond her years and outside of her social comfort. The girl was trying so hard to take on more than her share of the burden, and this should have brought Pyrrha relief. She should have been grateful.

But for some reason, she wasn't.

"I'm fine… It's going to be alright…"

Even long after the two left her to limp off alone, Pyrrha kept repeating her story to herself. This mindless drone becoming the only thing to keep her company on the long march back to her bed.

"Everything will be alright."

* * *

"_I'm here now," She was there when he was at his lowest, catching him right before he hit the hard ground of rock bottom. "Everything will be alright." _

_And he knew that it would be so. Anger fled, danger, dread and dismay dissolved under this lullaby. The shadows with a cry retreated away from the golden light which chained them out of sight until the day he was strong enough to face them on his own. _

_Death had taken her from him. Life had kept them apart. In his darkest hour she had returned to lift him out of the realm of nightmares and awaken him to who he was. _

"_You are mine," _

_He was alone in her lilac gaze. Surrounded by scarlet, this time he was unafraid, for her ruby tresses were soft and unlike the rage-filled miasma in his mind. There was no hate in this cherry embrace, only a feeling he knew in passing- yet one which had never lingered long enough to make an acquaintance. _

"_I will protect you," _

_Safety and shelter amidst her porcelain arms which would fend off the world for him. He belonged within her verdant stare and was beholden to the cascade of crimson hair flowing like blood in his veins. Green eyes grew in him new hope. Such fragile features like a rose in full bloom, with formidable thorns to ward off danger. In the cusp of her bud he felt… what was this feeling?_

"_I lo-"_

_-Wait. _

_Her eyes had been violet, hadn't they?_

"**-What in the fresh Oedipal Hell-?!" **

He jolted awake without warning or preamble, stepping direct out of the dream and almost off the edge of his favorite sleeping branch.

It had been a seamless transition, unlike all the previous times which required him to first gain his bearings and remember exactly where and _who _he was when he fell asleep. Even though this task had become easier with each new resident in his head reclaiming their own thoughts, the process had never been quite so… disorienting. Which was a disturbing thing in itself, because he knew _exactly _where he was, who he was, and where he had been.

But he had only the vaguest idea of who the woman in his vision was.

Yet he didn't have time to wonder, because he also knew that at that moment, there was someone approaching.

"**What'd ya want?" **

Too tired to play the game of shadows, he simply waited to grumble at the newcomers as they tread cautiously into the clearing. He decided that he owed them at least that little courtesy, considering it was probably their disturbance which roused him from the confusing apparition.

"Forgive the impertinence my fine fellow, but I believe you are mistaken." Already not liking the man before he set foot in his forest, the slick suit and saccharine words did not endear Jin any more to this person he knew by reputation alone. "But I would not be so foolish to come here looking to make demands. I know my place, and I wish to do all that I can to keep it."

"**If you want to keep your carrot top attached to your shoulders, you'll get on with it." **

Rather than intimidate, the no-nonsense attitude seemed to be appreciated by said 'carrot-top' as he tipped his hat and chuckled.

"Of course, this is your territory, your rules. And as such, the question isn't so much what I want, but what _you _want."

"**And if I wanted your head?" **

"Well, I would miss it, wouldn't I?"

With the body part still slightly bowed in his direction, Jin cast a cursory glance at the man's companion. The girl- the young woman had yet to speak a word but was much louder about her reluctance to be in the Grimm's presence. Yet, she was here all the same. And as brief as his glimpse was, it was not hard for Jin to see that she also meant something to the man before him. It was therefore a foolish move bringing her… but Jin also knew this man wasn't foolish.

So, it was a sign of good faith.

"**So…" **The past dream forgotten and the current dream firmly in mind, the Grimm-Man smiled toothily down at what promised to be two potentially entertaining toys.

"**What **_**can**_** the illustrious Roman Torchwick do for me?"**

* * *

**(1)- Gaijin is the slang for foreigner, akin to saying 'Gringo' for South Americans. The proper way to say it is Gaikokujin "foreign-country person", with "jin" being the radical for person again. Notice any parallels?**

**(2)- Counting Coup is a Native American tradition where it was viewed as being more of an accomplishment to simply touch an opponent in battle rather than actually harming them. **

**(3) No, not Obaa-chan (granny). Obasan means 'aunt' while Obachan means more like 'aunty'. Still, not something you want to call a woman you don't actually respect as a familial figure.**


	7. (We Don't Talk About) the Bastard Son

**Hey, hey. Sorry about disappearing on y'all. Just took a small jaunt down to see my dad and lost track of time (this was supposed to be published on Friday, oops!). That being said, I'm not sure if I'm entirely satisfied with this chapter. But I'll let you be judge and jury, my own words will hang me. **

**P.S. If some of you are still totally lost after this (somewhat is okay) I'll do a little summary of the history after the 4th Shinobi war with the next chapter. **

**Carry on!**

* * *

CRASH!

The cup which had just fallen from her grip and smashed against the mirrorlike floor had been part of a set, porcelain they paraded out for when dignitaries and other noteworthy persons came calling. It was a gilded, Arabic blue the likes of which hadn't been produced for hundreds of years. Rumor even had it to be as old as the school itself, passed through the hands of headmasters until the filigree was nothing but a faded reminder of a finer time.

Now, the cup itself was nothing but useless pieces, too shattered and scattered to be worth fixing. And merely another thing for Glynda to pick up- or else sweep under the rug.

For those that understood, it was an almost perfect analogy for this story.

But taken out of context, it was simply a troubling, incomprehensible and potentially dangerous situation for those that didn't know where they were stepping.

"Ozpin… what are you saying?"

What he was saying was as inconceivable as the meticulous woman's accident, and Glynda remained fixed where she stood with hands still raised to press that missing demitasse to her lips. Her eyes were wide and focused on the man behind the desk, trying to see behind this false reality.

"He is my son." Guilt-laden, Ozpin repeated what he said as if that were part of the penance. "The closest thing I will ever have to one, anyway."

Her mortification broke, only for Glynda to swoon and nearly trip on her own feet. An impossible thing to imagine happening to that unwavering woman- but no one had ever imagined Ozpin having a bloody _son!_

"W-Wait- just…" Falling into the chair that had been offered and refused by her at the beginning of the meeting, Glynda pressed one of her now empty hands to her forehead to try to orient herself in a reality which had just been overturned. "Can we please just… start at the beginning?"

With a solemn nod Ozpin agreed, summoning up the courage to expound on the truth which he'd barely managed to eke out.

"Of course. Once upon a time, I was just a man…" Recounting his life felt like recalling a fairytale, and he supposed it might as well be. His faithful subordinate of course knew that he was no longer so ordinary, but it would be impossible for her to imagine just how fantastical the reality was.

"Though I suppose it is not fair to say I was only a man, because there were those that saw me as a god. One cannot blame them, for this was in the ages after all the gods had died, and the demons known as Grimm had yet to walk the earth."

With this simple preamble he might have already lost her belief, but Ozpin was already lost himself in the past as it unfolded in that office.

"Yet, I was still human, with worldly concerns and needs: a home, an occupation, a family. I had dreams too, grand ones that failed miserably. Although, I suppose that makes me even more human…

"My dreams were grander, and thus, had cost me more than most. Not monetarily, but in strength, years of my life, and most importantly, peace of mind. In my hubris, I thought I could change the world. Now, I am stuck in it. Though unable to move on, I leave behind the corpses of colleagues, friends and lovers- but never a child to take over this mantle. I couldn't, even if I wanted to… though I suppose that was part of the problem.

"But yes, I did have love. There was a woman who loved me, even knowing my faults and failings. I loved her with all my soul, and I wanted so desperately to provide proof of this more than the mundane gifts of a roof and four walls- a child, product of both our dreams and wishes... Some days I think that it might have been this foolish wish that started it all. But maybe that is giving me too much credit, after I did so much to debase it.

"Jin's mother, my wife, brought him to me, claiming that he had fallen from the sky. And already she was his mother, even if that… _thing_ she coddled had more in common with the blackened chunks of the moon which fell from orbit. What is that expression? A face, only a mother could love… while he lacked a body that would identify him as human, he never lacked for love. She raised him, schooled him, taught him how to live.

"And I… well, I suppose I taught him how to kill.

"It wasn't long after that, the first Grimm appeared. Did we think it was a coincidence? No. We thought that he was a divine gift sent by the Light Brother to excise these monsters sent by the dark. It was with the first Grimm that I slew which he broke his fast on our planet. From then on, whenever I was fighting them, he would squirm towards the carnage in his mother's grip. And he would bathe giddily in the black mist, like a plant soaking up dew.

"And like a plant, he grew. Very quickly he gained- rather, I suppose, _regained_ all the parts that he lacked. He shot up like a beanstalk in but a few years and became more humanlike- at least to my eyes. He became almost… normal… until he became _more. _It was both amazing and disheartening for his mother who knew she would soon have to let him go out on his own, for there was no way we could keep an adolescent youth caged up in our humble shack.

"Except that while his body grew, his mind didn't. -Actually, no, that is not correct. It did grow. Not up, but out. He picked up how to _do _things very fast, but expressing himself…

"He had been a happy youth- for the few years he stayed young. Never have I seen such a content child- never have I seen a child so ignorant to the darkness of the world yet seemingly _aware_ of how lucky he was to have parents who cared for him. And there was no greater joy than the first day he figured out how to repay us, the day he slew his first Grimm.

"It all went downhill from there. Joy became excitement which became anticipation. This bred wanting, a yearning so intense that he would wander alone for hours and return with his bare feet raw and bleeding. But a desire for what, he could never say. There were times he wouldn't be able to say anything, like he forgot how to use the language we taught him. Or he forgot where he was going- where he _was_, walking into a room and then getting lost. All this frustrated him, led to mood-swings, violent outbursts and ennui that would sometimes last for days which left me to defend the home and work the fields all by myself."

"You know, you've pretty much described your average teenager."

Ozpin blinked and looked up as he did not recognize the mousy voice. For a minute, he too struggled to remember where he was and who he was sitting with. Glynda Goodwitch regarded him patiently, letting him know that she was still there.

"Yes," He chuckled softly with his precious time in the present, before going back under. "Maybe I had known back then too. Maybe I wanted to believe that everything was normal- rather, how it should be. It wasn't perfect… _I _wasn't perfect, certainly… I wasn't a very good father. I taught my son how to slay monsters, how to mend a plow or whittle a spear. His mother taught him how to darn clothes and how to cook, but also how to read, teaching him new ways of thought and the beauty of the world. Beauty that I simply couldn't grasp anymore. For every time I tried to find it again, instead I found those sharp yet hollow eyes looking at me, like a needle sucking out all joy and leaving me only with my failings-"

Halting suddenly, Ozpin bit off this admission as he bit his tongue. He still wasn't ready to share this most humiliating of truths. Or perhaps he just wanted to kill it, pretend it never existed and therefore make sure that it wasn't ever revived.

"You were jealous of him."

-But it was too late. It had always been too late.

"… She loved him." Hiding his shame behind his hands, Ozpin wanted to remember her beautiful face. But for some reason, he could only ever picture her smiling alongside that scarred creature.

"And so, you sent him away." Glynda surmised, convinced of this like she was with the rest of it.

"He left," This was enough of the truth for Ozpin to be able to compose himself. "When the Grimm started to thin out and mankind spread further and further towards our homestead, he deemed it was time to leave. I have no misconception that I pushed him away, but I know that he would have gone regardless. As I said before, he was looking for something."

"What?"

Searching in himself much as he had scoured the globe for thousands of years, Ozpin answered. "That's what I want to know."

"And so… is that why you brought him here? Did you know it was him all along?"

"No," Ozpin sighed, glad to be relieved of his one-sided confession. "But I wanted to believe that it wasn't just coincidence. I had to be sure, and I still had my doubts: Why should that child be the only one to appear in our world? Perhaps there were others like him that were not so lucky to have been blessed with a caring family. And then there was the fact that he had changed, far more than I ever could have imagined."

Although the prodigal Grimm was certainly a fearsome sight, somehow Glynda didn't think that Ozpin was even talking about his appearance.

"And now, are you sure it is him?"

"I am all _but _sure." Leaning in with the steadfastness he had always been known for, Ozpin was using his moment of lucidity to place things with his most faithful subordinate and companion. "This is why I am trusting you with the full disclosure now, because I cannot be certain that I can trust myself. Already I fear that I am making decisions based on emotion, and I cannot under any circumstance allow that to endanger this school- nay, Remnant itself."

As blindsided as she was to be presented with this monumental show of trust, Glynda had already swallowed the hardest part. And so, she took the request against her tight set jaw and squared shoulders.

"I… understand." As much as she still wanted to disagree with how it had been dealt with before, she saw the reason for it now. Maybe not the whole reason- no, there was no grasping this story in full. Even if it _was _the full thing and not abbreviated, she still had doubts. "However, why me?"

She was there. And likely, she would always be there by his side because despite it all, she _trusted _Ozpin. But with the meeting- the reunion- set for a week out, there was plenty of time for someone more capable to take her place. Not that Glynda was in any way inadequate, either as an administrator or as a huntress, but could she really be the best choice to oversee that… man? The child? The…? Then again, could anyone, even Qrow or the General- or even one of the four Maidens be expected to match that monster?

A smile more kind than serene called her from across the desk. It was an unusual look for the headmaster who would often be described as wizened and grandfatherly. For now he appeared… fatherly.

"My dear Glynda, you have a distinct way of dealing with unruly children."

* * *

"**Achoo!" **

Early morning peace was shattered by a sound like a gunshot, inviting a flurry of squawks and wingbeats which roused the slumbering souls of the woods. While the common citizenry of the forest was gradually getting used to their new lord and master, they had been alarmed by this most unholy noise.

Although, none more than the king of beats himself, who had not in recent memory _ever _sneezed.

"**Strange…" **A careful claw rubbed under his snout, summoning a distant and trivial memory to his mind. **"Perhaps someone is talking about me…" **

The thought would have brought a sadistic smile to his face, except that the concept itself was so troubling. The unfamiliar bodily function had jerked him seamlessly from sleep, so suddenly that he couldn't recall what he had been dreaming about- if _anything_.

And he would have thought more on it, except that another unaccustomed part of his body awoke him to something else. Radar-like ears twitching independent of thought homed in on an intruder.

"**This place is getting busy…" **He smirked one of his lesser-used smirks, a pinch of irony to keep him alert. **"…maybe I ought to move."**

A deep breath cleared the remnants of sleep from his mind and the sneeze from his nose, filling it with the disappearing dew and dusty departure of wingbeats.

And… strawberry?

"**A bit far from grandma's house aren't we, pipsqueak?" **

"Dang it!" Bigger than a robin, Ruby flew from the tree and landed at the edge of the clearing amidst a gentle rain of leaves and petals. "How do you always know?"

Looking at her like he was still waking up, the fledgling huntress was nonetheless alert under the half-lidded lasers boring into her. She knew that even if he looked lazy, all his enhanced senses were trained on her-

"Ah… erm, right."

"**Aside from inane questions," **Resisting amusement, he continued to glare uninterestedly to see if he could get the girl to wet herself with his eyes alone. **"Was there another reason you wanted to **_**disturb **_**my rest?" **

"…"

"**Would you care to repeat that? I believe you have your line mistaken for something out of a Shonen novel." **

"Teach me!"

The birds which had only recently returned to their roosts were spurred into the air again. They were slower to react at this almost incredulous exclamation and alighted in waves of confused flutters.

"…I mean, I get that I don't have your abilities or strength… or speed…" The cacophony gave Ruby plenty of time to rethink her words and realize just how humble she felt in his presence. "-But you've got so much combat- not to mention world experience; surely there's something you can-"

"**Hahahahahahaha!"** Even if it wasn't menacing or malicious, the uproarious laughter was hardly a comfort to the poor girl who had only that morning worked up the courage to broach a conversation with the creature. **"…No." **

"But what if-"

"**Apart from the fact that I'm not human- much less a**_** prepubescent girl**_**," **From nearly falling backwards over his own branch, Jin righted himself instantly and bore down on said girl with a reproachment that didn't allow her to argue. **"Why **_**should **_**I stoop to teach you anything beyond a painful lesson about why you ought to be more cautious about wandering alone into dark forests?" **

"Who says I'm alone?" She was given another stare which had far less patience than the last, his all-seeing eyes not merely boring into her but clearcutting the woods around. "… You still wouldn't really hurt me."

With the speed that she had been so eager to see, darkness fell upon her and a trickle of blood fell from an inconsequential cut on her cheek. It was lost within his great palm like nighttime- like her entire head was within his grasp.

"…**Wanna bet?"**

Asked this question at the beginning, she might have said yes. But in that instant, everything had changed. And now the answer was now no… no, no, no… this had been a very bad idea.

It had all dissolved without her realizing. Her eyes watered without consent and in place of fight-or-flight came the third option for the hopeless huntress.

"P-please…" Cowering cutely, without conscious decision the muscles of her face contorted into the dreaded Puppy-Dog Stare. "I- I'm sorry. D-don't hur…hey, wait a minute. Where'd he go?"

Within one blink of her empathetic eyes, the monster had disappeared.

* * *

"**Fucking eyes…" **

There were very few experiences that remained the same throughout his generations of memories. While even the same food tasted differently from time to tongue, the reaction to that accursed look seemed a universal constant like gravity. It didn't seem to matter, male or female, and reliving the exposure was somehow worse than even the memory.

Then there were her _eyes, _which would become their own problem in time.

…Maybe he ought to just carve them out, save himself the heartache- if not the headache from Ozpin. Speaking of, he wondered if the girl's little incursion into his territory wasn't the headmaster's doing. If so, he might have to get close enough to the girl to pry the truth out of her.

"_There _you are- oh, come on!" She had come so close- but he was already so far away.

Ruby barely noticed the cratered footprints she landed upon, already taking off in the direction which they led. Though he would always be one or two steps ahead of her, he made no effort to hide those moves and left a swath of destruction that was easy to follow. She didn't stop to wonder if this was intentional.

Unintentionally, this little game of chase ended up being pretty good exercise for Ruby as she had to constantly push herself to keep up with the beast. His four legs distributed the weight of his larger body and propelled him for far longer distances than she could hope to match in a single bound. Nearing lunchtime, she had nearly exhausted herself and collapsed in the same clearing from whence they had started.

Unable to kill the girl without incurring unwanted attention, Jin was content to have killed a few hours with the impromptu game of tag. Although, he could not say that this activity was something he always wanted to do- nor would he ever admit enjoying it at all. It would not be wise to give the incorrigible girl any encouragement.

Though, what to do with her now? He had wanted a chance to coax some answers out of her, but poking the prone body with his tail barely produced a groan. Using that same tail to pick up the twiggy girl like she was nothing more than a dead branch, he debated whether he had the patience to wait out her sugar crash or if he should just deposit her at the edge of the woods. Perhaps… yes, he could use her as bait for one of the others. Maybe he'd get a chance to torment the Cat Faunus or the uppity Schnee some more.

"Ha!" With a start, he realized he'd been the one baited by the teen playing possum. With surprising tenacity and ferociousness, Ruby dug her unfiled nails into the meaty appendage around her waist. "I _knew _you wouldn't just abandon me here."

"**Of course not," **He scoffed, not betraying his slight admiration for the underhanded tactic. **"This is my home. Any trash I pick up and throw away." **

"Please! We've just been through this. You won't reallyyyyyaaaaaaaAAAAAA**AAAAAAAA**Aaaaaaa…."

More amusing than their interaction was watching the annoyingly indominable little girl go flying back towards Beacon. The same tail used to catapult her shielded his sharp eyes, tracking her red cloak until it vanished into the blue sky.

"**Huh…"** Jin remarked as a spark of dissatisfaction struck him like lightning from that cloudless day.

"**Like father, like son I guess."**

* * *

"No, no, no. Not like that…" Pyrrha was exasperated, mostly with herself for being unable to explain this otherwise simple concept. "You're just making yourself a target by hanging out at that range. You can't be afraid to go to bind, Jaune."

"But every time I get in close, you hit me!"

Also just about at his wit's end, Jaune was much more vocal since he didn't have a student to set an example for. And not having hit his opponent the entire afternoon, he was more violent about his frustration too. He nearly threw _Crocea Mors _to the ground in what he would have admitted was a tantrum- but right then, frankly didn't give a damn.

"I'm sorry Jaune, I just-" She didn't know how to explain it. Having taught herself through trial and error and then doing it that way for so long, Pyrrha didn't know how to transpose her actions to words. Let alone dumb it down so that it could be understood by the total layman Jaune was revealed to be. "…I'm sorry."

Nothing more to add, Jaune knew that he had nothing as well- he _was _nothing. It was just as much his fault as his instructor who, for all her fame, could not seem explain her talent. He couldn't be angry with her, especially since she agreed to help his hopeless case. But it was indeed hopeless, and he was trapped in his own decision without a means of escape.

"Grraaa!"

A mangled cry escaped his lips as he threw his steel against the post, hitting the wood at an awkward angle. The sword lashed back, and the handle slipped from his grip, sending the historic blade skittering across the arena floor like a hokey puck. Jaune flinched, not at the disgrace he'd given the family treasure but at the accidental wound it'd given him when it ricocheted. Taking his frustrations, he pressed down on the shallow cut with both hands, biting back the deeper cry of anguish.

"You're not going to get anywhere by doing that."

"Please! Just shut-" About to lash out at this callous remark, Jaune stopped when he saw who it was standing by the gym's entrance.

While some would say this unfeeling assessment was _exactly_ who Weiss Schnee was, Jaune could only see his picture-perfect princess as she looked down at him from her wooden frame.

-Physically looking down at Jaune as he nursed himself on his knees. But instead of her usual disdain, Weiss was clearly trying to maintain neutrality as she regarded the situation. Even so, she could not help the pursing of her lips as she fought against saying something more.

Rather, she walked towards the ring. Each clacking of her heels was a slap in the face to Jaune who would prefer more of his teammate's blows.

"Pick up your sword."

Coming to stand in front of him, Weiss presented herself as the alternative to the order. And because Jaune didn't think he could meet her in the eye, he obeyed wordlessly, snatching up his family's blade in a white-knuckle grip.

"Stand up."

His body moved to the command which carried no inflection.

"Arms out, hip-level, sword up." Following the tip of his weapon unconsciously, he crossed the huntress's iced gaze only to find that he didn't recognize her. Weiss stepped forward, and Jaune nearly jerked backwards in surprise.

This reaction seemed to crack the frosty Schnee from her focus, and she looked back at Pyrrha, blinking away the whitewash.

"Excuse me Pyrrha, but may I?"

"O-of course."

Equally taken by the woman's resolute demeanor, Pyrrha wouldn't have objected had nothing been said. Giving the two distance, yet she found she was unable to distance herself from the intimacy of this new instruction. And so, Pyrrha watched on with both concern and fascination.

"Now," The outstretched blade hadn't been left alone long enough to think about wavering, and _Crocea Mors _stood motionless as it was crossed in the middle by _Myrtenaster._ "Close your eyes."

"Huh?"

"Don't move, just close your eyes."

Obeying the second iteration, Jaune shut himself away with his doubts and the image of a sword-tip pointing at him. There he remained for several disconcerting moments, until the pressure he hadn't even been aware of let up, and he opened his eyes in surprise.

"Did you feel that?"

"Uh…"

"That was me going 'soft'. Try it again."

This time, instead of the stomach-turning sense like missing the top step, Jaune felt his bowls clench in anticipation as the smaller woman bore down on his blade. Weiss's rapier pulsed against his long sword with an imminent attack-

"Open your eyes."

They both stood stock still, their blades remained unwavering in the air. But as he stared in utter confusion, Weiss could not stop the knowing smirk from tugging at her lip.

"With your eyes open now. Hard…" Expectant of the force, Jaune pushed back with more strength than Weiss was actually using. And then suddenly the bottom dropped out again, _Myrtenaster_ disappeared from the swords' handshake and his view entirely as he blinked. Next time he found it, the needlepoint was gently pressed against his collar right at the edge of his breastplate.

"… and Soft."

"I-"

But before Jaune could question what just happened, Weiss was already set with an answer as she had them reset to their starting positions. They crossed blades again a manner so stiffly formal it must have imitated a woodblock manual from the time before kingdoms. Yet, Jaune could begin to feel the dynamics with each subtle twitch steel made against steel.

"This is what is called 'the bind'. You are correct that it is dangerous to be this close, not least because of what you just saw. But it is also the only place where you can truly learn about your opponents and their next move." Seemingly not moving at all, Weiss adjusted the pressure on their blades, and it felt to Jaune as if they were conducting a duel on microscopic scale. "You felt the thrust before you saw it, which is why you blinked, right?"

"Yeah," Jaune admitted, trying to imitate her non-movements and jiggling their metal cross like a house of cards. "I think so."

"You did," Weiss insisted with a surety that came from experience. "This is what Pyrrha was talking about before. This is where it all happens, and you can't be afraid of it. It's where your opponents are going to be able to hit you, but it's also the only place _you_ can hit _them_. No matter what the comics say, the only way fighters can learn about one another is by crossing blades. Backing away unguardedly, advancing heedlessly, too much or too little pressure creates an opening. It's all about angles, the tiniest of movements, the littlest of mistakes."

A miniscule miscalculation, Jaune didn't notice how Weiss's blade crept up onto his and suddenly the small forces they were playing with was balanced on a bigger fulcrum. The larger _Crocea Mors _was effortlessly batted away and _Myrtenaster _found a home in his kidneys.

"Uh, heh, heh, heh…" Jaune laughed slowly at what would have been a painfully slow, but fatal blow.

"Better." Weiss snipped measuredly, cutting off any of his disparaging thoughts before they could grow like weeds. "You're not flailing about like you were. It's better to start small like this and learn the movements so you don't keep practicing wrong. Although, before even that, we should fix your stance. Plant your feet shoulder-width apart with your weight between the two. Try not to lean back. When you start trying to avoid the blade, you'll move to the side. Until then, keep your body facing forwards."

"Wait, but you're-"

"You're unconsciously trying to copy me," Weiss appraised with less disapproval than simply noting. "Don't. While the concepts are the same, your weapon is different from mine. Using a rapier, I'll turn my side to minimize the target area. But your strength will come from pivoting on the hips, so you need to be able to move them."

"Like this?"

Looking different, from both her own form and the adjacent perspective, Weiss scrutinized the young man's posture for an agonizing few seconds before she gave her verdict.

"More or less. So long as you can move comfortably and return to it every time. The key to this as with everything is practice. And you have to start with the basics, otherwise you'll just learn wrong." Dropping her own lateral guard, Weiss pivoted on her heel and turned the discourse back to the original instructor. "Right, Pyrrha?"

But Pyrrha had vanished from the ring. Like sleep, she had been unable to detach herself until she had stopped trying. Then, all of a sudden, she was unable to prevent herself from slipping away and down the rabbit hole of memory.

She was a child again, taking her first unsteady steps towards recognition. Not looking for worldwide renown- at the time, something so outlandish hadn't even entered her mind. No, Pyrrha just wanted someone to acknowledge her for her. Or at least, as something more than excess baggage.

Although, now looking back at it, she realized that even this might be not be possible.

"Pyrrha?"

"Huh?" With a blink she refocused to the present, finding two sets of eyes focused on her. "I'm sorry…"

"Not at all," Weiss brushed off Pyrrha's slip with a portion of her usual elegance. "I was just trying to explain what I thought you were saying. Was I wrong?"

"Oh, no, no…"

Not at all. Weiss had been right on the mark, striking at rote memories incised in her like old wounds. Pyrrha had to admit that the other woman was far better at explaining these finer concepts than she would ever be.

Pyrrha could only ever try and explain herself through monumental action. It had been this way ever since she was a child in Mistral. Life on a homestead was hard. And unlike the gilded markets of the capital, strength was valued more than actual money. Her industrious father had always wanted a son, yet she had been born a freakishly tall girl.

Pyrrha had always been a fighter, struggling simply to justify her mundane existence. But no matter how hard she worked, she could never seem to be worth her lithe weight. She worked, she ate, and she grew. Corded muscle wrapped continuously around her gangly frame, but it was never enough to drive the plow any further into the ground nor coax the cattle into the pen. As a farmhand, her height was useless.

So she was sent away, traded in for a debt to national service. In the junior academy, at least her height gave her reach over her opponents. But it made it no easier to grasp these finely tuned stances that Weiss now demonstrated. Nor did it make it easier to find friends amongst the crowd, her height making her just as unbalanced in the lunchroom as it did in the ring. But it didn't stop her from winning.

Nor did it make the struggle any easier. Her instructors beat the lessons into her and the awkwardness out, manhandled her body into form like the oxen on her father's farm. And she kept winning, kept rising in height and rank- and yet, somehow feeling more like a loser.

However, Pyrrha had friends now. At least, she thought she did, just like she thought they were waiting upon her with concern.

"You're quite good at this," With her voice as small as she still felt, Pyrrha commended the other girl.

"Oh, thank you." Surprised by the genuine compliment, Weiss could not help her own pride from resurfacing. "Despite what a lot of people probably think, it wasn't easy. Having so many tutors just meant that I had more people to critique and outright criticize me." Judging by her rueful smile, Weiss's own jaunt down memory lane was no more palatable than Pyrrha's. But she at least appeared able to hide old wounds- most of them, anyway. "I spent many hours practicing, until my hands were raw, and my feet were blistered. And through it all I had to listen to people telling me I ought to just quit. My father… he would never miss a chance to remind me how I didn't have as much talent as my sister, how I should just stick to singing and making myself look pretty like a wallflower."

The history revealed to the two teammates was less surprising than the fact Weiss had even stopped in to help. Her assistance, however, was more unexpected than unwanted. It was just an uncharacteristic offer from the prideful Schnee- at least, it was a surprise to Pyrrha. In fact, the so-called prodigy was having a hard time understanding how Weiss's story, so alike her own, could produce such a drastically different personality.

Furthermore, why such a comparison could make her feel that much more isolated.

"But you're great now." Jaune said with earnest and eyes only for the white-haired woman. "And I'm pretty sure I got your explanation. Do you think- you think maybe you could lend me a hand- as well?"

Maintaining the appearance of vanity, Weiss pretended to mull the request over for a few seconds. In essence, she would still be doing it for herself, as she was still trying to understand life as it was revealed to her. Going back to basics was a good thing, a task to give her perspective and relearn purpose from the ground up. Teaching someone else helped to solidify concepts in practice. And then, there was even a tiny sliver of her mind that still insisted tutoring would look good on her record.

And as much as she had thought her reasons through, Weiss failed to give a thought to Pyrrha. The once Invincible Girl stood silent in the background, watching, unable to fight as she became superfluous once again.

"Yo! Guys, quit what you're doing and come check this out!"

Dazing them like a hammer blow, Nora's exuberance bounded in to usurp the mood and conversation.

"Nora, you can't just interrupt people like this." Trying to catch up and curtail his partner's enthusiasm was proving difficult, as Ren had a hard time reigning in his own excitement while he followed hot on her heels. "You realize they might have seen the news already?"

As they grew used to the energetic huntress, the others might have shrugged off her blissful interruption. But seeing Ren with a grin growing on his face was more than enough reason to postpone whatever sobriety remained

"Um, I lost my scroll, remember?" Pyrrha said, losing her own moroseness in anticipation of the good news.

"And ah, I might have left mine back in the dorm… again." Jaune admitted with familiar chagrin.

"You did." Without missing a beat, Ren handed his captain the device which was already queued up to a news broadcast dated earlier that day. "Just watch."

With speakers boosted to full blast, they all crowded around the tiny screen with Weiss not immune to the curse of curiosity. Even though they'd already seen it, Ren and Nora took back seats to the show, looming over the others so they could watch their reaction as well as the video.

"_-As late as last year, travelers passing through the Mistral countryside would attest to a village having been in this spot." _A pale man preceded on screen, his flat face not saying that there was anything amiss. But the fact that a reporter was there already announced that there was something newsworthy about the unassuming field in the background. _"-A derelict village, like so many other settlements that are lost to Grimm, and not long after to history. There was nothing overly special about these ruins- except that they are not there anymore._

"_All that is left now is the sign marking the fork in the road. The town of Kuroyuri is well remembered among the locals and even those as far away as Mistral city, not only for its prosperity, but its subsequent and unexpected demise. Many still recount the single, fateful night where the sky rained fire, when Kuroyuri and its population was decimated. Whether this previous tragedy has something to do with its current disappearance, we might never know. _

"_What is certain is that the town is no longer here. Not even the lava-encased ruins which had become a pilgrimage for many are left aboveground. Preliminary searches reveal fragments scattered around the area, but few are willing to excavate that deeply to see if they still exist underneath this fertile soil. Not only is the surrounding area still considered dangerous, the thought of disturbing the town's new internment does not sit well with many. _

"_What happened? Without evidence, no one can say. Only that humanity's stone monuments are gone, seemingly swallowed up by the earth. Nature has been quick to capitalize on this vacancy- not to mention, the good soil whose nutrients are provided by the very lava which swept it clean. Within a few years, we can safely say that it will be indistinguishable from the surrounding landscape. _

"_And while the land will likely revert to its pre-human abundance, it is doubtful if anyone will come back to settle here for many years. By disappearing, the village has been lost to Remnant. However ironic, by the same event, it has become immortalized in history. This is Dan Brown-"_

"-Yeah, yeah!" Nora barked, interrupting the video and reaching over the crowd to shut it off. "-But isn't it cool?!"

"Umm…" While the others were trying to figure out how they felt, Jaune was still trying to comprehend what was going on.

"I admit, at first I was a little upset- okay, more than a little. Our home is gone completely, hardly any signs that it, or our parents - or our entire lives ever existed. Basically, just finishing what the Four-Tails started." Helping the others along with this confession, Ren still had a contented smile which told of a happy ending. "But I think now that it's probably the most fitting, whether or not he meant it to be. It's time for all of us to begin life anew."

"Mm-mm!" Nodding along emphatically, when Ren had said his piece, Nora piped up with one more. "-But you should know better than to doubt a loyal knight! I, on the other hand, had the utmost confidence that he would see his quest through!"

"Wait, you think that _Grimm _did it?" Weiss asked, incredulous both with the claim and Nora's fantasy.

"Who else?"

"But _how?_"

Jaune quickly realized that his question was by far the most unnecessary, as there was no contention to whether the monster was capable of something earth-changing like that.

"I don't know," Shrugging his shoulders, Ren then crossed the same arms defiantly. "And frankly, I'm not sure if it's worth it to ask. I, for one, am ready to leave it all in the past and move on."

This was something they could all agree on.

\- All but one.

Never had Pyrrha felt so alone amidst a crowd. In her championship days, the fans and fellow athletes acknowledged her to varying degrees. And even in her youth, the other children oscillated between contempt and jealousy. Here, the ones she called friends could barely stand to meet her gaze as they all looked at her with trepidation and sorrow- with _pity._ Now perhaps she understood how Jin felt- even though he was the one who put her in this place.

-No, she did it to herself. Not having a choice now was only because of the poor ones Pyrrha made all on her own. It was on her to feel bad- the others didn't have a right to take that from her.

"I'm sorry, Pyrrha." Not understanding this nuance, Ren laid a hand on her shoulder. "-And, thank you."

"I'll be sure to pass on your regards."

The bitterness which left her mouth shocked them all, though none more so than Pyrrha herself. Where had this acrimony come from? Perhaps it was residual from dealing with Jin- but it didn't belong to her, that she was sure of. Pyrrha was not a spiteful person, she didn't want this hostility. And neither had she the right to rebuke her friend when he was just trying to apologize- Even if Ren's action had been motivated by guilt.

Placing her hand atop the one frozen on her shoulder, Pyrrha waded through her own blame to give her teammate a comforting pat and smile. Though she knew the reassurance wasn't up to par, Pyrrha was having a hard-enough time convincing herself that it would be alright.

Yet, if she didn't, who would?

"Who knows," Branching out, she glazed past the others who were also looking to her for reassurance. "Perhaps something beautiful will grow there?"

Though in the end, nobody believed it.

* * *

"**I wonder… ya think I would be able to toss you into space from here?" **Reclining amongst the grass which had grown tall in just a few days, Jin stared up through the curtains of stalks as he had many, many times before. He watched the sky as it darkened in the space between encroaching clouds, eyes memorizing their unique turbidity.

"Maybe," Ruby offered offhandedly, sitting down against a tree trunk and not straying from the protective shade. "You'd have to achieve escape velocity which is around Mach 33. Given that I weigh something like one-twentieth what you do and was almost able to keep up with you when you sprinted at about 1.5 times the speed of sound, you might _juuuusst _be able to put me into orbit."*

Lolling his head on its pillow of tails, Jin looked over to the girl who in turn was looking at the same patch of clear sky which was rapidly getting smaller and smaller. She was hugging her cloak around her legs to ward off the Fall chill but was making no move to stray from her newly claimed spot.

"**Nerd."**

Spluttering like the now-threatening Autumn shower, Ruby tried to hide her blush within the crimson of her hood. "What?! It's just ballistics!"

Jin scoffed, turning back away but capturing the image of her chagrinned face to post over other, unwanted memories.

"**And you're just a half-pint brat who's **_**still**_** too big for her britches. Tell me, is your entire generation this obstinate, or are you just a particular glutton for punishment?" **

"To be fair," Ruby countered with undiminished humility. "I probably had to work just as hard to get Uncle Qrow to give me lessons."

"**That old buzzard has far more tolerance than me." **

"You know Uncle Qrow?" With respect to her other questions, Ruby rethought this one. "Right, of course you do. I should have figured, you two are so alike you _must _know him."

"**Are we?" **Asking, Jin watched equally disinterestedly as a flock of birds crossed through the last patch of blue sky which was turning violet as the minutes passed lazily. **"Huh. Figures why I can't stand the man." **

Opening her mouth and closing it again, Ruby stopped before another unthinking comment could be made. There was much that she had been given in these few scant words, but it was a mixed bag with things she didn't want to consider. Had her uncle known all along what awaited her here?

"You… don't like to talk to people all that much, do you?" With sadness more than satisfaction, she was beginning to understand. "But… doesn't it get lonely by yourself? Don't you get bored?"

"**Of course I get bored." **Bored of laying down, Jin sat up and stretched violently, his tails lashing out and ripping up a few bundles of grass. **"Boredom is the only reason I do anything- it's probably the only reason I let you monkeys live! You wonder why I don't raze Oz's little school to the ground? You wonder why I stoop to tolerate your disturbances? It's all for the modicum of entertainment it **_**sometimes **_**brings me. What would I do alone in this world with the Grimm? While I could stand to be without the inane prattling, constant fighting is even more tiresome. There might be more than one way to skin a cat, but I've done them all!" **

A more fearsome tempest than what was on the horizon, yet Ruby didn't move from her spot as the Man-Beast flailed and flung the sheaves of straw into a snowstorm. His tails trailed him like scythes as he paced the glen, looking for something neither of them could fathom. When at last he appeared to realize what he was doing, he slowed until he too was no more than a stalk in the breeze.

"**I have killed so much that it becomes a novelty to spare a life. Nothing but a whim- yet one which so often proves just as unsatisfying. I wonder why I bother. In boredom I question what the purpose is in even keeping all **_**this. **_**Idle hands left alone for too long become the Devil's tools to rend this world apart. And every now and then I entertain the thought of just **_**letting **_**them… but there is no coming back from that. So, do you still think I do this out of **_**the goodness of my heart**_**?" **There was nothing but a silence which could have meant anything, but which told Jin all he needed to know. **"You are naïve, little girl." **

"I suppose I am." Her response was quieter than the thunder which had yet to roll in, a voice as silent and unkillable as history. "Where I grew up, Patch wasn't that big. Everyone knew everyone, a whole world on that island. I didn't even know about things like war or hatred against Faunus. We still had Grimm, but my dad made sure I grew up knowing how to deal with them, so I didn't have to be afraid.

"I wasn't, for a long time. Although perhaps I should have been? I even thought Beowolves were kind of cute- up until Grimm killed my mother. I wanna say that's what got me to open my eyes, and why I begged for training from my uncle. Although, I guess I still had some delusions of awesomeness. I thought I was pretty hot stuff, even though he always beat me. I figured I would get better… that everything could get better. Getting accepted to Beacon afterwards didn't exactly change that outlook.

"Yeah, I suppose even after all this, I am still naïve, but… I don't want to be."

She stood up and let her hood down, stepping out from whatever shelter the tree provided and onto the killing field.

"I want to know everything this world holds, the good… and the bad. I want to see the worst it has to offer so I can appreciate the good- so people can't say I'm ignorant when I tell them I want a happy ending. I want to show them it's possible."

Prepared for derision this time, Ruby braced herself for the cruel laugh like thunder. She was surprised by an actual rumble, rolling in many heartbeats after the far-off lightning bolt lit up the sky. But the Grimm's back like night was still turned to her.

"**You really are a masochist, aren't you?" **

"I-" Feeling herself fidgeting, Ruby couldn't meet the man's gaze even if it was directed at the clouded horizon. "I actually don't know what that means…"

"**Heh," **Refocusing on this confession, Jin let out a single chuckle. **"You've got a long way to go, ain't 'cha?" **

"Well, maybe if you would explain it to me…" Her pout deflated, followed shortly after by the rest of her. "-But then you'd need something in return, right?"

"**Oh? Maybe you **_**are**_** starting to learn." **She couldn't tell if he then snorted or if it was the first gust of the storm. **"Too bad there's nothing you have I want."**

"But-"

"**No." **Knowing already what she was going to propose, he looked down on the offer with condescending cruelty. **"Don't make me take it back. You **_**should know **_**by now not to make such blind bargains. Besides, what would I do with a puny Lolita plaything? I'd **_**break you,**_** girl."**

"I can handle hard training!" Ruby stomped up, though her action and anger were lost in comparison. "I kept up with you today, didn't I?"

"**You…" **Jin growled, letting it trail off into an uncertain pause like waiting for the next, closer lightning strike. **"You… really have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?" **

Another bout of taciturn silence gave Jin another answer, one which amused him greatly. It started with a snicker but didn't take long to devolve into laughter so uncontrollable it knocked the Grimm-Man over and had him rolling between gasping guffaws and choked chortles.

"**You-you are so damned n-naïve! ****Ha, ha, ha! I-I can't- Bwahaha!" **

_Crescent Rose _found its way into Ruby's hands, poised above the hysterical beast and held back only by the fact that she could only lose by swinging it.

"Maybe… if you… would just…" It was hard enough to get the words out past grinding teeth, Ruby could think of no new argument other than the one she'd been belaboring. And even then, she had no hope of its success.

"**Alright." **

"…Huh?"

"**Alright," **He reiterated, hands falling away from his bursting ribcage and sitting up to show the seriousness stretched across his face. **"I'll learn you a thing or two- **_**IF **_**you can entertain me. Why don't you try getting your oneesan- your older sister to explain to you what we talked about here."**

"Um…" Looking for any way this could come back to bite her- other than the obviously toothy grin- Ruby physically looked around the clearing only to remember that it was still just her. Her and _Crescent Rose_, whom she quickly collapsed and hid behind her back. "Okaaaay." She stretched the word out, keeping commitment held until the end.

"**-And record it." **

"I-" If only she could know for sure whether this was a naïve decision. There was, unfortunately, only one way to educate herself with experience. "I can do that."

"**Good. Now, what are you waiting for? Get out of here." **

Ruby already knew that she would never get a straight answer from her new 'teacher'. She inferred that she would have to make her own inferences- starting with this one, which she took to be a command rather than a suggestion.

"By the way…" Although she was uneager to disobey and get on the beast's bad side, Ruby needed to know exactly where this proverbial line began and ended. She paused while fleeing and looked back at the solitary man, the tortured grass all that separated them. "You never answered my question before. Don't you get lonely out here?"

In response came a deep, growling rumble that shook the air. However, Ruby could neither tell if it was of consideration or anger. She wondered if she had not already crossed that line.

Then the rain began. Lightly at first, but within seconds it became a downpour of leaden drops which shot through her cloak like it wasn't even there. Ruby briefly considered whether she could take an express flight back to Beacon via 'Jinchῡriki airways' and skip the walk.

However, it was clear he wasn't open for business. Still silent after her question, Jin was totally closed off and looking into the clouds as if his eyes might rip them apart. She wouldn't be surprised if they could, but he chose simply to stand there in silence with the rain sloughing off his snout.

Receiving no more answer, Ruby realized she'd already gotten one for free. She'd been given a way to start, at least. And in a way, she felt bad for not being able to offer him more in return.

With one last look to the statuesque creature who stood with rain streaming off armor that would never rust, blades which would never dull, she donned her hood and prepared herself for a long walk back.

"**Lesson one: "** Though the storm roared to drown his words, and the sun set to let evening swallow his smirk, the two red stars in his eyes continued to glow like unquenchable embers. **"Never trust anyone," **

It would continue to rain as he disappeared into the darkness of the night and the twilight of his black heart. The king of beasts was off to wander one again.

"… **especially when they tell you they're not lonely."**

* * *

Night seemed to be the only time she could be alone, away from her daily responsibilities and the drama of others. Being part cat, it only made sense that her predatorial nature would come out after the sun went down. Once it became too dark to read, her only option was to live the vicarious life she could only dream about during the day. Night was when her senses went on the prowl, and an insatiable wanderlust called her to action. Blake loved the darkness, and for a while, it had returned that affection.

But night had been forever ruined for her.

It _should _have been a time of solitary enjoyment, just like coming to Beacon should have been the first step towards self-betterment, and just like the Faunus' Rights Act should have been the precursor to equality. Somehow, none of these things were true anymore, and they all had the same cause.

Now the outlook appeared as hopeless and miserable as she did: cooped up once again and unable to see past the curtain of rain which fell over the windows. Droplets as heavy and large as iron bars trapped her in their dorm, though she knew it was hardly the weather which kept her from enjoying the peace and quiet.

Now, she was never alone. Currently sharing the room's light with her new partner, Blake also shared Yang's concern over their captain who was out later than usual. Though even if she were to join Ruby in going AWOL, Blake wouldn't be alone out in that wilderness.

Never to be alone again.

Things would never be the same. Blake could no longer say that she had the same confidence and optimism as she once did. What was the point in Human-Faunus equality when _both _species were inferior to these newly discovered Grimm? Furthermore, who was Blake without that goal to fight for? And most importantly…

Why did she still not want to give up?

It _should _have all been pointless, as futile as trying to reason with that rabid beast- like her captain had hinted at doing earlier in the week. That girl was a hopeless romantic, liable to get herself and the rest of them killed.

And yet, was not Blake still waiting for her?

Hesitant to blame it on hope, the disillusioned idealist still had the utmost confidence in Ruby's return. Although, why, she couldn't say. Sadly, it was not faith in the freshman huntress, though Ruby could admittedly hold her own in a fight. No, it was the knowledge that _Jin _could and would do exactly what he wanted.

And it was this assurance that comforted her.

The door burst open as she thought it might at any second, and Ruby clomped in looking no worse for the wear than expected- although she was sopping wet and leaking water everywhere.

As Yang assaulted the wrung-out girl with a litany of questions and exasperations, Blake merely looked on with a scripted amusement and a short greeting.

"Welcome back."

Being used to her sister's henpecking, Ruby caught these two words out of the deluge of admonishments leaving Yang's mouth, and the flood of water dripping from her ears.

"Oh! Blake, you're here!"

"Yes, she is," Yang groused while stripping the younger girl of her drenched cloak. "Unlike _someone _who just up and left without telling anyone."

"Well, you went to the gym early and I didn't want to- hey, Yang! What are you doing?! Stop that- I can take care of myself!" Not stopping at her cloak, the elder sibling started removing more layers of Ruby's soaked clothing to ensure that she did not invite a cold.

"Well, you're getting water everywhere!" The blonde proclaimed even as she tossed the cloak away and sprayed drops across the walls. "-And you could have at least told one of us where you were going and when you thought you'd be back!"

"I don't need to!"

Yang froze, not immune to her sister's ice-cold fingers gripping her wrist, but more concerned with the flare of anger in her voice as she made this declaration.

"I'm not a child anymore!" Standing proud despite looking like a stray dog, Ruby challenged her sister to say anything to this. "I'm sure that you don't want to _mother _me, and- and I don't _want _you to! I'm not your responsibility to keep track of twenty-four-seven. More than that… I'm your captain and you ought to trust me."

Struck by this unexpected outburst like a lightning bolt, Yang was unable to form a response. Her mouth remained parted in a scream of either anger or anguish, but nothing intelligible could be released to determine this.

"I- I know that I'm not perfect." Ruby deflated, giving into the mantle around her shoulders that was heavier than the one Yang had flung into the hamper. "I realize that I'm not anyone's first choice at a leader, and that I still have a long way to go before I've earned it… but I've got to be allowed to do that myself. I need to make my own mistakes. I'm not afraid of that. And… I'm not afraid to ask for help when I need it. That's why…"

Still frustrated, but not wanting to be, Ruby looked to her elder sibling to help her out now. She needed Yang to forgive and understand, both.

"You-"

"We are all still just children." Quiet sounds from Yang made Blake's mumble sound loud. Previously silent, the Faunus didn't really feel that it was her place to speak but now had no choice as she found herself in the middle of it. "Being able to do things on our own is important as an adult- but I think that knowing where it's appropriate is an even bigger step."

No one questioned her hypocrisy as they considered the wisdom of what she said for themselves. Eventually, Yang laid a less-forceful hand on her sister's shoulder.

"I _do _trust you, Ruby. You should know that I always will." She gave a gentle squeeze, more to assure herself that the girl was still solid under her fingertips. "It's the world that I don't trust. We both know it's not fair, and I'm terrified of it taking someone else from me. That's why I mess around and try not to think about it, but these days… I know I acted tough for you and Weiss- but how are we supposed to _know_ when we're strong enough? Is there really such a thing? What if something comes along that's too much for even people like Ozpin- something _else_? That's why… I can't _not_ worry."

"I know," Meek compared to earlier, yet Ruby knew this feeling with even more certainty. Hence why she had gone to the strongest being she knew, even if it had been a dangerous thing itself. "I know… but you can't let it consume you. I'm not going to live in fear of those things that _might _be out there… I'll take things more seriously, but I'm not going to let it change who I am."

"Good," Still ruffled herself, Yang reached over and mussed up her sister's hair. "We need someone to be reliable around here."

Rolling her eyes, Blake went back to being part of the background as it seemed this small incident was diffused with minimal casualties. How long would that last, she wondered?

"-Oh! Yang, speaking about asking for help, that reminds me…" Speaking of minimal casualties, Blake wondered what souvenir question Ruby had brought back with her from the Emerald Forest. "What's a Lolita?"

The rain outside pelted like static as the signal in both older woman's brains was lost.

Then the door slammed open for a second time, punctuating their surprise and revealing an exhausted-looking Weiss. As if in anticipation for the headache she stumbled into, she had a hand clutched to her forehead and her eyes screwed shut.

"Hey…" Eyes closed, she sighed and rubbed the hand against her scar. All her focus directed simply on not tripping into the room. "What did I miss?"

* * *

"By the way…" Halfway into her third brandy, Glynda remembered something about Ozpin's story that she had missed the first time around. "Who was the mother?"

Swirling his own innumerable cup of wine, Ozpin watched numbly as the crimson liquid clung to the inside of the glass as if trying to escape its fate. Slowly, inexorably, it slid back into the diminishing pool which looked more pathetic the shallower it got. Holding it up to the ceiling in a toast to the cruel gods which put them on their planet, he tried to see through the opaque contents like looking through rose-colored glasses.

Instead, everything just looked like blood and the incandescent bulbs glowed like a certain pair of eyes.

Like mother, like son.

"I believe you already know."

* * *

***Yes, I did the rough calculations. **


	8. the Cat Came Back

**...Ho boy, what can I say? You guys are awesome, and I can only strive to provide you with my best efforts. Which is probably why this chapter took so long. **

**That being said, I'm equally amazed that we seem to all be on the same page- or else it's coherent enough that the story is graspable without knowing all the details. **

**OR, we're all equally insane.**

**... I think I like that last option the best. **

**And in that assumption, I will say that a good hunk of this chapter deals with real Japanese mythology. A lot of it based on the book "Kaibyo: The Supernatural Cats of Japan" by ****Zack Davisson, which is an amazing read if you ever get the chance. Just my own unsolicited recommendation for any of y'all who want to drive yourselves even further down the rabbit hole.  
**

**For now, let's dive into it.**

* * *

She would not cry.

Of all the hardships that she had endured in nearly two-decades on this forsaken planet, today's incident did not even rank in the top ten. It warranted neither note nor even a second glance.

Unfortunately, she was still forced to leave the cafeteria under the many sidelong glances of gawking students who wouldn't lift a finger to help her normally. It was hardly fair, first to be the target of bullying, and then to be paraded through a public area as a spectacle of contempt- Or even worse, _pity_.

Though there were also the ones who pretended they didn't see anything. Those were perhaps the worst of all, denying that the problem- that _she _even existed. Duplicitous and hypocritical, these opportunists didn't know which side of morality they stood on because they didn't know who was winning.

Sadly, she and her kind would _always_ be the underdogs- no pun intended. And the indifferent would forever be the majority because it didn't affect them. Because it was _easier _to be apathetic, rather than risk it all to try and change the world.

That's why she didn't blame the first years whom had everything to lose and nothing to gain. They had looked on with what she knew was a tried and true combination of anger and impotence. Frustration she knew well.

No, she didn't expect any support to come from them- even though it was from their ranks which team CRDL sprung forth. Hatred and intolerance would always find fresh blood. It was much harder to find stalwart support, nearly impossible to source friends whom one could count on in time of need. She counted herself lucky that she had that.

-Except that they weren't there back in the cafeteria. _Where_ were her team now? Where was _she? -_Not knowing which way she was headed because her vision was beginning to blur for some reason.

No, she would not cry. She would keep her poise with head held high, not faltering in her resolve-

Velvet ran into something solid, something real and as unrelenting as her determination.

She lost.

Falling hard onto her soft rump, it was a more jarring blow than realizing she was alone, and only served to drive this point home.

Not dropping her stiff upper lip throughout the humiliating lunchroom ordeal, enduring the jabs both physical and mental to her Faunus characteristics without a whimper, keeping steady as she strutted pridefully out of the cafeteria under the hundreds of judgmental witnesses- yet now Velvet could no longer hold it in over what amounted to bruised bum.

No, no, no! She couldn't cry! She was a strong and independent woman, a survivor of the first year at the most prestigious hunter academy and a cherished member of team CFVY! -And yet here she was in the public corridor, just beginning to bawl her eyes out in front of a total stranger who loomed over her with what surely must have been the utmost derision.

"I-I'm so- I'm sorry, I'm s-sorry…"

"**Hm? What the hell are you apologizing for?" **

Velvet didn't actually know. It might have been to her fellow Faunus, for not upholding their dignity. It might have been for her team, for allowing doubt to creep in. And in any other scenario, it would have been for the stranger whom she crashed bodily into. Yet from the sound of it, he was unmoved by the whole thing.

"I-I ran into you!" Already upset, Velvet began to feel incensed at this blasé attitude. Damnit! She was a huntress, and a body-check from her ought to at least register!

"**Yeah… and?" **

-And! And… and… what exactly? It was entirely her fault, and neither was he demanding reparations or demeaning her for it- not yet.

"**Are you not going to stop crying unless I accept your apology?" **

No, she would dry her tears herself as she had done too many times before. She had already cut the flow and wiped away the trace evidence, for she was unwilling to give the brutish man the satisfaction.

"**Great. Now, could you stand up? Because I was kind of trying not to get a lot of attention. And frankly, this doesn't exactly look good with me standing over a sobbing girl and all…" **

"I'm not crying!"

"…**Of course you're not." **

Too easily accepted, just like her lot in life. It was time to pick herself up and move on. But where to? There was a dark cloud cast overt her whole life, just like-

-Just like the large, cloth-covered arm reaching down to help her off the ground. Incredulously, she regarded the tree-like limb which was attached to a veritable mountain behind. It was almost unfathomable how she had missed him, except that he took up nearly half the hallway and was garbed in a voluminous cloak that looked like a shadow.

"…**Seriously, Girl, I don't have all day." **

"…Thank you."

"**Don't mention it. Ever." **

Giggling, Velvet realized that everything sounded funnier after the sadness like how everything looked better after a rain. She accepted the hand up- more like she simply held on and was lifted to her feet. Though even then, her tall rabbit ears barely reached the lower brim of the man's hat when she stood straight. From the ground, she had judged him to be no less tall than her teammate, Yatsuhashi Daichi, who himself towered over everyone in the school. But this man, this was ridiculous- the whole thing was odd and just a little disconcerting.

"Um, excuse me, but…" The time for soft language was probably before she ran into him. She could also tell, despite the darkness hiding his face, that he didn't enjoy useless banter. "Who are you, and what are you doing here? Beacon is a closed campus, open only for official visits and…"

And though the huntsman profession attracted all kinds of eccentrics, the man in front of her looked to be raising the bar appropriate to his height. Saying that his hat was large was as much an understatement as calling it a hat rather than a beach-umbrella. And the fact that he was wearing it indoors with an attached face-veil to hide his identity might not have been the most inconspicuous of accessories if he truly wanted to avoid attention like he claimed. No one would be turning a blind eye to the bandages that covered every inch of his flesh either, though he was unlikely to garner sympathy with the attitude he had displayed thus far. Then there were his robes which looked like they were made of sails lifted from a pirate's ship, one that had sunk long ago and was probably haunted.

At the very least, he gave the impression of a homeless bum who had somehow wandered in from his campsite in the Emerald Forest.

…which was mostly correct.

"…**And you think that I don't belong here, huh?" **

Velvet was ashamed to hear it said, even from someone else's mouth. As one of the few Faunus students at Beacon, Velvet didn't want to be the one to say _anyone_ didn't belong.

"**Well, you're probably right…" **Shifting uneasily under his robe, Velvet was suddenly made aware of how uncomfortable she herself felt in his presence. It wasn't simply that he was big, dark and well- _shifty_. There was something about him that tickled a part of her brain she hadn't acknowledged in years, primal senses going haywire. **"And it's not really like I **_**want **_**to be here, however-"**

"Vel! There you are!"

From down the hall came a voice Velvet would have recognized anywhere- anywhere except the vulnerable state she was currently in. Hopping backwards from the shout like the startled rabbit she was, the second-year student nearly crashed into the stranger once again. Even more unexpectedly, he caught her and saved them both the repeat.

"Vel, we've been looking everywhere for you. Where've you been?" Coco Adel stormed up in her stiletto heels that were so cutting-edge fashion they could be used as a scalpel.

"Where have _**I **_been?" She asked back with a touch of indignation and an immutable support behind her.

"Honey-Bunny," Her worry becoming as soft as her silk lingerie, Coco looked at Velvet askance over her designer sunglasses. "It's Tuesday?"

"Tuesday?" She blinked confusedly.

"**Tuesday." **He grunted from behind her, checking a comically small Scroll.

"Tuesday!" This blunt confirmation somehow jogged the thought process, just as her other two teammates jogged up to stand next to the leader of team CFVY. The morning's events hit her like a sack of bricks as soon as she realized they all could have been avoided. "Taco Tuesday! You got takeout from Roberto's!"

"Yup, even made sure to save you some spicy marinated carrots and cauliflower." Holding up a takeout container like the latest piece of jewelry set on a velvet cushion, Coco tilted it just enough that the contents wouldn't shift but the calligraphically inscribed 'V' was proudly displayed on the paper lid.

"I forgot…" And she realized at last she had gone alone to the cafeteria instead of their usual hangout on the back lawn. Mortified, frustrated and all other emotions mixed up in her mind, the rabbit Faunus gripped her head near the base of her ears until a soreness made her remember what had happened in place of their nice, team tradition. It was painful, and this allowed her to cry.

"Hey, hey now, what's all this?" Unable to answer her leader, Velvet thought she must be losing her mind. Her brain seemed to be dissolving in a salty solution that precipitated out her eyes. "Come on, Girl, we can't have a breakdown in the beginning of the semester. Wait for the midterms, at least!... Did you remember to take your medicine this morning?"

"Yes! … No… I don't know…"

Even identifying the likely culprit didn't make things better, as it only confirmed that there was something drastically wrong with her- something _else _besides her cumbersome rabbit ears. Tired of holding it in all on her own without even the chemical assistance, Velvet broke down on the shoulder of Coco's genuine doeskin leather jacket.

And taking it all in stride, the fashion-conscious huntress gave not a care for her clothes' waterproofing as she handed off the food container to her nearest available teammate so she could properly comfort her friend.

"There, there, no worries. Plenty more Tuesdays in the semester." She patted the woman's back with a reassuring and familiar smile like this was indeed just any other Tuesday. "Why don't we get you back to the room, get your pills and snatch a nap while we're at it. I'll even sit with you while you eat, and Yats and Fox can find someone to take notes for your afternoon classes. See? Problems solved!"

"T-thank you… sorry…"

"It's all cool, Vel. By the way… can I help you?"

Finally acknowledging the elephant in the room -really, anything was possible to hide underneath that cloak- the leader of team CFVY turned her attention to the obvious stranger while maintaining a protective arm wrapped around her friend.

"**I sincerely doubt it."** He snarked. And like the earth under their feet, the students didn't appreciate the man's presence until it started to shift and rumble in a deep, gravelly voice which sobered them instantly. **"I'm just having a look around… killing time."**

"Forgive me, sir, but Beacon isn't hosting any tours right now that I am aware of." The giant Yatsuhashi addressed politely, keeping his surprise to a blink as he had to actually look up slightly to meet the man in his- where he _thought_ the eyes should be. Blinking again, he must not be used to viewing people from this angle because the light seemed… off. Squinting at the shaded face, it seemed to flash crimson like a sunset against ripples in the water. "And unless you have official business…"

"-We're gonna have to ask you to take a hike."

Trends changed too fast for Coco to have much patience and politic. Velvet might have been more sensitive remiss of her meds, but someone or something had set her off and the den-mother was going to find out who or what. Admittedly, her added sneer might have been because she finally noticed the man's disheveled state of dress, which her sense of style just could not permit. But he was also just a convenient target for a first strike on her warpath.

Fangs were brandished in response. Though they couldn't see it, they certainly _felt _the smile as he drew it like a dagger beneath his robe.

"**As I matter of fact, I happen to-"**

"Uncle!"

Blake had exited the cafeteria shortly after the other Faunus girl, delaying long enough that it wouldn't be obvious she was following. But perhaps she had been too late, because upon exiting there had been hide nor hair of the… hare.

Always too little, always too late.

But guilt had kept her looking for the other student a bit more, even if she knew the pursuit was pointless. What would she do when she caught up? Like in the cafeteria, nothing seemed appropriate. But she could not do _nothing_. What would she say? Weiss had put it right, words were _meaningless_\- at least her words were. Why should the other woman trust Blake when she hid her own identity? Where would the cat get the strength to console, when she didn't have the compunction to comfort herself? How could she say everything would be alright, when it so obviously wouldn't be?

And more importantly: what in the ever-loving _hell_ was he doing here?

"Uncle!"

And Blake would still be hard-pressed to explain why she said that and approached the gathering. But at the time, she was equally mystified as to why _He _was there in the school of all places. Ignoring her instincts telling her this was a bad idea- them ordering her not to get _near _that thing- she crossed the great rift with the intention of finding out.

"_Uncle, _what are you doing here?"

The elder students who must have composed the Faunus' team turned away from Jin and looked back as she approached. Blake couldn't help but note that this was a foolish decision on their part, because the largest threat they would ever know was in front of them. But of course, they didn't know.

"You know this dude, firsty?"

Coco greeted her with the standoffishness of a senior student but the camaraderie of a fellow huntress. Protective of her Faunus teammate and wary of everyone else, Blake knew the captain was not someone she wanted to make enemies of.

"Yes," Blake made sure to direct the response towards her fellow students so she could ignore just how close she was getting to the disguised Grimm. "He's my… Uncle…" The pause was unavoidable as she parked herself within throttling distance and caught the first whiff of his unique scent. "… Jin."

"Uncle Djinn, huh?" Skeptically, Coco leered at them from above her sunglasses. She was busy sizing them up, doing what any good huntress would do in the worst-case scenario where her team would evict the unwanted guests by force. "And uh, what, pray tell, is Uncle Djinn doing wandering the halls during school hours? Besides spooking delicate little bunnies."

"A-actually Coco-"

"_**Actually…**_**" **Forgetting the deep voice in the few minutes it wasn't speaking, the students were forced to wonder if they had purged the experience from their memories. **"It's **_**Jin**_**. And I could get a word in edgewise, you'd know that I have a meeting with Oz at 3:00. It's quite a way for me to travel to get here, so I'd thought to arrive early and take a look around at the school he always talks about **_**so proudly.**_**"**

"You know the headmaster?" Asking with trepidation on the cusp of panic, Coco really didn't want to be noted for spurning an official guest.

"**Oh, yes. Ozzy and I go waaaaaay back." **The mocking was as thick as the poignancy in the air, and no one made a sound for fear of choking. **"Why, I might have known Ozzy longer than anyone else… alive. Usually he comes to me, since I tend not to get out much these days. Of course, I know of Beacon and have seen it many times from afar. But when he made the invitation to come visit his little castle- well, you don't refuse a golden opportunity like that, do you?" **

He posed the challenge to the collective students including Blake, playing up the card she had so graciously handed him and making her further think that it was a mistake. She may have dreamed up a scenario of meeting with the Man-Beast and asking him a lofty favor. But that was long ago, back when she still had the unspoken assurance that he wouldn't _set foot on the fucking campus!_

"Pardon us. I am terribly sorry for the rude greeting." Though he seemed immutable, the tallest member of team CFVY was also the fastest to ask for forgiveness. "I am Yatsuhachi Daichi, second-year student at Beacon and part of team CFVY."

"I'm Coco Adel, captain of team CFVY." Choking the professional introduction, Coco wasn't sure if she could handle an apology as coolly as her teammate did. "And as you probably already know, this little cutie here's Velvet and that there's Fox. Say hi, Fox."

But Fox said nothing- which wasn't unusual. But only now were his team noticing the white-eyed boy's apparent blindness to the conversation. And though he _was_ technically blind, Fox also saw past the paltry words being thrown back and forth, directly to the heart of the meeting.

The huge, black, pulsating heart.

"C'mon, Fox, don't be _rude_." His normally ruddy skin turning almost white, Fox all but leapt at the elbow spurring him by his leader.

"F-Fox, Alistair."

Trying not to bite off his tongue in the process, the young man blurted out the bare minimum. It had been so long since he'd had to use actual words instead of just whispering them in his head. But a tarry miasma unlike anything he had encountered before choked his mind, twice blinding him with its oppressive opaqueness.

"**Fox, huh?" -**And the blackness _spoke back_, prodded and probed, goaded him with a sliver of illumination like an angler fish of the deep. **"I knew a fox… once."**

"Umm… interesting." In the way that an abandoned hospital was, Coco gave a shudder and turned her attention to the more preferable subject. "And this is your… niece?"

"Thrice-removed." Blake was quick to say, faster than she put up her hand to shake the captain's hand. "Blake. Blake Belladonna. First-year student of team RWBY and unluckily familiar with this oaf. Sorry about any trouble he's caused."

Shock of recognition came to team CFVY's Faunus, which then became a shock of something akin to horror as her 'Uncle' laid a hand on his 'niece's' shoulder and nearly swallowed her black head of hair in his dark grasp.

"**Awe,** **my little Neko-Musume (1), you wound me." **Blake went rigid under his touch, hackles visibly rising as the black bow atop her head gave a repulsed quiver. If this went unnoticed by the others, it was because they didn't know what lay under the wraps and were inclined to believe the lie as it was being woven. **"I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was coming, I assumed you would still be in class. Of course, we haven't talked in **_**so **_**long anyway, I was almost worried you wouldn't recognize me. What a pleasure it is to be remembered, eh?" **

Team CFVY didn't think anyone could mistake the man in front of them. For as old and crippled as one might assume, he exuded a palpable power like a sunlamp- which was only comforting so long as one did not look directly into it, like Fox was forced to do. And apart from Blake, he was the only one who seemed to understand that the Aura extracted rather than radiated, withdrew into the void like a black hole.

"You should have told me you were coming…" Gulping her admonishment, Blake felt the sharpened claws tickle her throat despite the multitudinous wrappings blunting their edges. "I- I might have been able to arrange a tour."

"H-hey, if Newbie here doesn't think she can handle it, team CFVY would be happy to oblige." Coco offered, eager to make up for their prior hostility. At least, that's how she excused the uncharacteristic nervousness.

"**Oh, I'm sure my little kitten would be pleased to. Ozpin would surely not begrudge me taking one little first-year out of class for a few hours. But I doubt he would be happy if I kidnapped a whole team from their studies. **He brought Blake in closer with the liberty she had unwittingly allowed him, ignoring her discomforted squirming which was matched by the other students. **"Besides, I believe you have your own reason to be absent, right?"**

"Well…" Looking between the two equally distressed Faunus, the quivering rabbit in Coco's arms seemed more than willing to be their excuse to leave. "Of course, you're free to spend time with your 'niece'. I just want to make sure that you know the rest of Beacon is filled with hard asses. Don't be shy about hitting us up before you go, 'kay?"

"**Oh, rest assured you won't get rid of me that easily." **

Restive at this thought, the four upperclassmen bid their newest acquaintances farewell and quickly made their retreat.

"Well… that was weird." Only now was she seeing it with the clarity of hindsight. But Coco's focus was on the member of their team who was legally blind and didn't usually have that much to say. "Fox, you feeling alright?"

The boy gave a rigid nod, one that was like a handshake transferring reassurance to his teammates.

But there were also the shackles still linking him with the darkness, letting it know of his cooperation. In exchange for ignorance, it let them walk away. Although, he knew it was still somehow privy to their conversation, black stringers releasing their hold but leaving their mark.

"What about you, Vel? Get any bad vibes from that guy? – He didn't do anything to you, did he?"

"N-no! He was n-nice…" This wasn't the total truth, and she knew it. Even without her medication, Velvet felt her mood stabilize, chemical balance returned along with clarity, but she still could not place exactly what had been amiss. "…I think."

And what Velvet thought was exactly what Fox was trying to express. But unfortunately for them both, the effort was akin to explaining color to a blind man.

"Either way, I feel that we might have been a bit… standoffish." Focusing this comment mostly on Coco, Yatsuhashi himself was tempted into believing things had turned out differently. His remembrance rectified the encounter, shortening the stranger and downplaying his overbearing menace in his mind. "Perhaps we ought to take the time later to make it up to them…"

And for reasons none of them could explain, this appeared to be a bad idea.

Not saying anything, Jin just chuckled and unfocused his ears from the faraway conversation. It always amused the Grimm how excuses were laid out for him like the red carpet. Not even his bloody eyes could obfuscate the truth as well as human denial. Though it was just as well, since he didn't like relying on the Sharingan and resented its inheritance.

If he had known it was going to be this easy though, he might have stepped out of his sanctuary sooner. Perhaps old Oz did have a better idea what life was like on the outside and it was time he took advantage of the generosity being offered him.

"Why are you really here?" As team CFVY ducked around the corner, Blake ducked out from underneath Jin's claws. Then she turned to glare at him with as much menace as she could manage without meeting him in his eyes. Unable to judge his intentions, she was forced to assume they were nefarious. "…You're not going to hurt them, are you?"

Hurt, perhaps not. Both he and Ozpin _had _said the mind-alterations didn't hurt. Were team CFVY the previous victims of crossing his path? – Or was Blake the literal black cat, ensuring their bad luck by interrupting whatever it was he had intended to do?

"**You clearly don't know me that well." **He laughed in the same manner that had haunted her ever since that day."**Why are **_**you **_**here? Trying to get to know me better? -Careful though, you know what they say: curiosity killed the ca-" **

"-Would you stop being so casual about calling me that?!" Hissing at him, the shout was caught by her clenched teeth as she frantically scanned the empty hallway for anyone else listening in. "There's a _reason _I'm hiding these ears!"

"**Ah, you worry too much." **Dismissing her concern with a wave of his massive paw, Blake dodged it as he went to ruffle her head. **"Humans see only what they want to. Faunus too- for that matter- despite their vaunted eyesight are just as blind." **Beginning to walk away, Blake noticed with a squint that his ambling gait might have passed for an old man's, if one didn't know better.

"**Although… it remains to be seen **_**why **_**you choose to disguise that part of yourself. It's impossible to hide that there's something different about you. Trying to do so just makes you seem… mysterious. And you know, some people like to go searching for a mystery. They see the fantastical even in the perfectly mundane and invent wonderful excuses for the crudest behavior. People like that **_**want **_**things to be more than meets the eye. Right, my little Neko-Musume?" **

Blake scrunched her face as the argument was waved under nose like a dead fish. But starved as she was for an explanation, she still followed the man for what else he held.

"Why do you keep calling me that, anyway?"

His slow pace allowed her to catch up and walk comfortably next to him- not that she was at all comfortable near that Grimm. With scowl still drawn tight, she thought about the title he had ungraciously bestowed her:

Neko-Musume. The infamous 'Cat-Daughter'. Ever the avid reader, Blake knew the Mistralian folklore and what was said about it. The most liberal scholars thought that this fabled human-cat hybrid was really the first recording of Faunus in history. But for better or worse, most just dismissed it as fictitious.

"**Why not? It fits."** He justified his opinion simply and with the certainty of being right.

And why not? Blake begrudgingly accepted it, even though depictions of the Neko-Musume were hardly flattering. But these images were human hearsay, and she was now beginning to think that no one knew the true story- almost no one.

Silently she reminded herself that monsters now walked amongst them, and then wondered what other in the pantheon of Kaibyō might really exist. And furthermore, why she couldn't have been born one of these magical cats instead.

"**It fits, unlike this guise of normalcy. Therefore, you're not a Bakeneko (2)." **He continued walking and talking, answering her unasked question as if he knew her mind as well as the halls. **"Bakeneko are shapeshifters, and you are clearly not comfortable in your own skin. And without being so bold as to look under your skirt, I count no tails, so not a Nekomata (4), either." **

"Could be that I'm just not comfortable because of present company." And as off-putting as that company was, Blake found the topic correspondingly enticing. And the chance to discuss it with a living legend was unfortunately irresistible. "And aren't Nekomata supposed to earn their tails when they age? Maybe I'm just not old enough yet."

"**Heh, I know better than to presume a lady's age. I also happen to know two-tailed cat who would take offense to that assessment." **His tone implied a grin, but one which left no doubt he was telling the truth. **"And I didn't want to be **_**too **_**presumptuous, but the only other option because of your beauty, you'd have to be a Bakeneko-Yῡjo (3)."**

Flush with anger and embarrassment both, Blake would admit that she preferred to be 'the cat-daughter' rather than these shapeshifting prostitutes. But instead, rebuked both it and him.

"-What's the point of all this?" Suddenly frustrated with being bested at her own game, Blake should have known it was truthfully _his _game and she was a mere neophyte just now learning the rules.

"**Simple: what kind of cat are you?" **

Not answering, she didn't feel like it even if she had understood what he was asking. But despite there being only two hours left before his supposed meeting, he seemed to have all the time in the world for her to think about it. In what seemed to be true ignorance, they wandered aimlessly through the halls and unexplored silence.

Eventually, they entered a part of the school even she hadn't been to before. A stained-glass window occupied an entire wall with a single stone bench planted underneath its rainbow shadow. There he sat himself with the illusion of deliberateness, leaving plenty of room for Blake to sit next to him. She chose to stand a safe distance behind.

"**I used to hate cats." **His grumble rankled her, reminding her that there was no 'safe distance' with him. **"There… was this one which always used to run away from its owner, nasty, fat little thing that would bite and scratch when we finally caught it. I think I still have the scars…" **

Resisting a contemptuous snort, Blake focused on the picture in glass rather than the image conjured by his ramblings.

The subject of the window was a familiar one, part of the saga of the Brother Gods. Here they were depicted in their respective magnificence and maleficence. The Good Brother flanked by his wonderous creations, and the Dark Brother skulking amongst the Grimm. One raised above the other, but forever side by side and both illuminated by the same sun shining through.

"**-Thing is, **_**all**_** cats have claws and teeth," **Interjecting into her musings, he provided the truth that the Good Brother had made beasts, too. **"Even the wall-flowers, the useless ones which need a fierce name like 'Tiger' to justify their existence. There are the Neko-Musume, the Bakeneko, the Gotoku and the mountain cats. There are the fraidy-cats, the ones who bring bad luck and those that beckon good… and then the ones that are useless for anything but making into shamisen (5). Out of the eight, only you and the Schnee have yet to seek me out… until now." **

There was slight relief with this statement following the quasi-threat of turning her guts into a guitar. It at least meant he was unaware of their trespassing when he was 'out of town'.

"**I wonder why that is. The Schnee's pride dictates that she must work things out on her own. But what about the stray Belladonna? Is it as simple as fear which keeps her away? -But fear isn't always simple; scared, perhaps, of allowing yourself to feel something. To accept desire. To give into hate. Do you hate me? Humans? Which do you loathe more, and is your vengeance worth this second chance you have been given? Or, perhaps… it is yourself that you can't stand, and why you will always be dissatisfied.**

"**You… remind me of someone I used to know." **

A statement that was as clichéd as the ecclesiastic art in front of them, yet both held a significance that caught Blake off-guard. Before she had a chance to wonder whether this was intentional, he continued.

"**Although, it has been a long time. I might be seeing only what I want to." **Beckoning with that big, black hand to the blank slate next to him. The spot was splattered with rainbow light, all the palate she would ever need to paint an accurate portrait of herself. **"Come. Why don't you tell me the truth about yourself?" **

Blake balked at the invitation. There was nothing that could sway her to take the spot at his right hand- except, hadn't she been the one to seek him out? There was nothing to be gained by bargaining with the Beast- yet, Ren and Nora had saw fruits from the effort, hadn't they? There was no magical fix to the situation with the Faunus- yet, there was hope, wasn't there? There was no amount of rationalization that would override her instinct, yet she still found herself wanting to walk over to him.

"**I see…" **She bristled as he didn't even look at her. **"You're the kind of cat that doesn't come when called… yet expects affection. You won't take what's in front of you… but are unable to find what it is you want. And you can't bring yourself to trust others, but expect the inherent goodness in people to prevail…" **

Turning back to her, his eyes sparkled like the wall of glass behind. The two pixilated images overlaid and she was no longer sure if she was looking at the good brother or the bad, but found herself wanting to genuflect in their presence all the same.

"…**So, how close am I?" **

"You know nothing about me." Her mouth spat treasonously, and she felt the profanity turn to ash in this holy sepulcher.

"**And I never will, unless you tell me."**

No longer able to contest either his argument or her own, Blake strode over and sat down on the same bench which was baptized with color. At last on the same level, yet still feeling like she was on her knees.

"I… have something to ask of you."

"**Of course you do."**

She wanted to resent him for his sigh which sounded like resignation. But in fairness, what other reason would she be there? Blake had something to request of him- something that once said, admittedly seemed so selfish and paltry.

How many of these entreaties had he entertained? Blake's request was likely just another drop in the river of tears which had flown by him, dried up to become his callous and cracked suit of salt. She was but another grain in his hourglass, her words nothing but whispered echoes on the vaulted ceiling of that cavernous room.

Which was why she had given those words to him, that he like a megaphone might amplify her aspirations. Mayhap he could make something of her confession, turn her sins into virtuous action. It was a silly thought- arrogant- like being given a genie's wish and hoping it wouldn't backfire.

In the following silence she might have been spared disappointment. But as she waited for his verdict, she was tortured by the lack of sound which was worse than the red eyes and forked tongues of demons. In silence it echoed, reminding her _that there were things still worse _than Jin judging her.

"Well?" Risking his ire, it was better than continuing the quiet. "Will you do it?"

"**No." **Wincing, Blake found she was wrong. Worse than a lashing, this one scornful word was her sentence.

"But-"

"**No. Fighting the White Fang is not my battle. It's yours. While I'm not above doing other's dirty work, I will not be party to your **_**vengeance**_**." **

"It's not!" As sure as she was of this, Blake was frightened by the vehemence in his voice as he shot down her appeal. "I'm just worried! I left because they were going down the wrong path, but I need to make sure they're not about to do something irreparable!"

"**-Your guilt, then." **Jin seemed familiar and disdainful of this too, and she could imagine his alabaster jaw carved into a sneer. **"You're asking the wrong person to provide you with absolution. If I ever do anything heroic, it's incidental in getting what I want."**

"But you _can _do it." Unsure if she was arguing or imploring, Blake would have groveled if she thought he wouldn't spit on the gesture. "…We both know how strong you are. There isn't a single person in the White Fang who could stand against you- _together _they couldn't. So why-?"

"**As I said, I'm not a hero. And if you ever thought I could be, you're even more foolish than your so-called 'captain'". **Though the comparison was meant to be mean, for once Blake did not mind being branded the romantic fool. **"But you're not stupid. You already know that if you sic me on them, many of your former comrades won't survive… although, I could just kill them **_**all**_**, wipe the White Fang off the face of Remnant." **

All the color seemed to drain out of the world with this black and white ultimatum along with all the blood in Blake's face. She stared at him in horror as he toyed with the possibility like a child with ants under a magnifying glass.

"No…" She said, suddenly hoarse.

"**Why not? It's the only surefire way to make sure they don't do anything foolish. Otherwise, they'll always keep fighting. I mean, it's either that or exterminate the opposition. But there are just so many more humans, it would be a real pain. … yeah, the task actually seems doable now that you put it like that…" **

"No, no, no! Please-!" Because she hadn't known what she really wanted, Blake took his initial refusal with equal parts disappointment and relief. If she didn't owe him anything, the thought was that he'd have no reason to do her harm.

-But not being beholden to the beast didn't mean anything, and her ignorance was coming back to bite her. Blake still didn't know what she had really hoped to accomplish here. She didn't even know whether or not he was joking, only that she really, really didn't want to find out.

"Please, just… forget I ever asked." Blake buried her face in her hands, wishing she'd had another two pair for her ears and mouth so that she might keep the evil from spreading inside and out. "Forget I said anything… forget I was even here."

"**Ah, I'm afraid it doesn't work like that, my Neko-Musume." **Patting her back brought no relief, only goosebumps which he fingered with claws that thrummed a light beat on her spine. **"The cat's out of the box now… or is it bag? Either way- it's alive or dead, but once you see it, there's no going back from either. No need to fret, though. Nothing's irreparable yet that's not worth fixing."**

Blake knew this was a lie just like the comforting gesture. His mere presence had shattered their reality worse than the fragments of glass which made up the picture hanging over them. But however conceited it was, she took solace from it and listened to what he would offer in its stead.

"**I won't fight your battles for you… but I also won't keep you from trying to get what you want. You want closure, to be reassured that your old friends aren't about to harm the new. I can't guarantee anything, but I can see what Oz has on the recent Dust robberies if it would sooth your conscience." **

Still very much conscious of who she was talking to, Blake had to ask.

"What's in it for you?"

"**Heh, heh. They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but they never said anything about kittens." **With the hand that had left her he tapped at where his chin would be in a very human gesture, which only served to make it all the more disconcerting. **"To tell the truth, there is a small, specific favor I'd been thinking about from you." **

"A favor?" Blake asked before she could stop herself.

"**Relax. It won't be anything untoward, I assure you." **With a bat of his hand, he dismissed her concern but not trepidation. **"It might turn out to not even be necessary; in which case I will still honor my part. But as far as the favor itself, I would ask nothing more than what you've done willingly for me today. Speak a few words, open a few doors…" **

"That's it?"

That's all it seemed to take to placate her, to abdicate her responsibility. And, all that was needed to turn this monster from hellish judge to divine executioner.

"**That's it... Unless you'd **_**like **_**to be my bitch. In which case, I might be willing to do a lot more to-**_**for **_**the Faunus." **He wasn't physically touching her anymore, but she felt his iron hand through the gaze which had never left. Fiery red, hot, hovering over her skin like a brand and igniting the hairs which had been standing on end. Blake was burning up inside and out with passion and the promise it would bring. **"-Oh, I'm sorry. Wrong species. Was that insensitive? I am more than happy to hear what the pussy has to offer in return-"**

***SMACK!***

-Alight with rage, Blake remembered that there was always a catch to this crude creature's offerings. They might be worth the humiliation, but his promises would still only ever bring pain. Her hand throbbed from when she leapt to her feet to strike him, but she could deal with that. What she couldn't shrug off was that he would dare target her most tender areas- preying upon her genuine desire to do good. Blake might have been a romantic fool, but she would never play one for _him_.

"**Ha!" **His bark brushed aside the musty air clogging her brain. Gravity dragged her heels back down to the ground which suddenly felt unsteady as he gave a rumbling chortle. **"Heh, heh, heh, hah, hah, hah, ha, ha…" **

He chuckled so darkly that it seemed to swallow the iridescent light shining through the window. Every ray that wasn't absorbed by his black cloak was ingested by his eyes, wavelengths disappearing until the only one left was an infrared searing her pale flesh.

"Making friends, are we?"

A pinprick of light at the end of the tunnel. The headmaster's silver silhouette appeared in the opposite doorway and slowly dissolved the dimness as he tracked his way in.

"**More like… reacquainting myself with places, people…" **Not at all perturbed by the interruption, Jin didn't turn to the interloper but looked up and spoke to the outline of the Good Brother wrought in twisted lead. **"Nothing wrong with that, I presume?" **

"Not at all." Though Blake was sure Ozpin could see the panic etched on her face, he seemed much more interested in deciphering what lay behind the veil and the other disseminations guarding Jin's thoughts. "I was going to send an escort to make sure that you arrived… without incident. But I see that it would have been unnecessary. I should have known that you would be able to navigate the campus fairly easily."

"**You should have," **Releasing her as well as his threatening aura, Jin turned from Blake to the headmaster. Although, she could still feel an enmity radiating from the being in front of her. **"However, I will admit that this place is rather… labyrinthine. I wonder… what kind of **_**monsters **_**are you hiding in here, Oz?" **

"None at all, I assure you."

Somehow, Ozpin's assurance didn't carry as much weight as Jin's. She was all but certain he had seen the whole thing from the battery of cameras lining the halls. And yet his timely arrival didn't inspire any more confidence.

"The time is close enough… shall we?"

Relief dropped out as soon as the Grimm and the headmaster left the chapel- along with Blake's legs as she fell to the cobblestone floor. She bruised her knees against the flagstones worn smooth by centuries of the same action. But she couldn't feel a thing past the anxiety burbling up from somewhere deep down below.

What had she said in that moment of weakness? What had she agreed to in the absence of thought?

"What have I done?"

* * *

"What would you like to drink? Coffee? Tea? Cocoa?"

"**Excuse me?"**

The absurdity of this offer soured the beast as much as a sip of the black liquid would. All other pretenses had been stripped away the minute he entered the headmaster's office, much as his stifling hat and heavy robes had been discarded and tossed lackadaisically on the sofa which he reserved all to himself.

"**I have no use for either your swill or your games, Oz." **Cracking one eye for an annoyed glare at the man sitting serenely across from him, Jin didn't think he'd have to explain his eating habits to Ozpin of all people. If the man needed a reminder, he'd be sure to make it as gruesome as possible. **"In case you have forgotten, I don't suffer from thirst… nor fools." **

"Quite," The headmaster remained unperturbed by this irritable look, unlike Glynda who shied even further into her background. "Neither have I forgotten the numerous veiled threats, grim promises and dour predictions that plagued our every meeting before this. I can only assume that something must have changed to get you to accept my offer."

"**You asked." **Jin snarked as he melded further into the sumptuous couch, a basic comfort which had been denied him for a very long time.

"And I'm asking you now… if you'd like to maintain the illusion of competence and civility over a shared drink, so that we might avoid the rather embarrassing discovery of which one of us is the fool: the one who asked, or the one who accepted?"

Two eyes were necessary for the amount of ire directed towards the headmaster who remained unflappable despite the very distinct possibility that he might catch on fire at any moment. Absently, Jin's claws threatened what else could be in store as they flexed into the hide of the very expensive leather couch.

"…'**Cha," **He finally grunted after a nerve-racking pause, extracting his nails so that he could wave his order to the professor standing by the bar.

The tiniest of smiles was hidden by Ozpin's two-fingers as he gestured for Glynda to make him one as well. He remembered the ancient word for tea, prepping a batch in that kettle which was a relic from the last time he'd heard it used.

Not one to normally play barmaid, Glynda had to actually focus on decanting the dark brew into the three remaining cups. And as she poured, the pot chattered in her grip and the stream danced through the air. She was admittedly nervous, seeing as she'd scarcely ever had to entertain VIPs (or, as Jin put it, suffer fools). It was too easy for these self-important persons to see her as merely a pretty office decoration.

But now she could feel the Grimm's eyes upon her, observing her gauche movements which only got the clumsier the longer his gaze lingered and the lower it drifted. No, these were not normal circumstances, and she'd have to swallow her dignity along with the retch coming up her throat for the sake of the school.

"Cream, sugar?" She asked with tight lip and jerky actions, upending half the bowl into Ozpin's cup.

"**None, thanks. I'm sweet enough already." **

But damn! How she regretted her current position, physically leaning over the tea set and allowing that horrid creature an even more embarrassing view than the sight of her playing hostess. Behind the burbling of liquid, she could hear the smacking of black lips as he was likely preparing to say something especially obscene-

"**Didn't that set use to have four cups?" **

Glynda nearly stumbled as she was carrying the tray over, too unbalanced by the innocent question to note the grave implications. Rather than think about it, she practically ran to give Ozpin his cup.

"It did. But such is life." Ozpin said as flatly as the surface of his tea, the liquid stilling within his halcyon grip.

"**Mm," **

There was now less weight in her hands, yet it was harder to hold the tray stable as Glynda offered it to their 'guest'. Somehow, Jin managed to snatch the unadulterated drink from her care and hold it aloft as solidly as an unripe cherry from a branch. And as she backed away slowly, he examined the precious fruit with incredible care.

"**Three seems a more appropriate number anyway. Two will always be in conflict, and four is just a pair of pairs. Three is all that is needed to embody all aspects of life: The Creator, the Preserver, the Destroyer… you've got your mommy, your daddy, and your little baby…" **There came a ripple from the past which propagated through Ozpin's drink, shaking his steady fingers and his hand along with it. ** "They say it's indivisible, can't be divided. But what do I know? I was never good with math." **Not showing he was aware of the distress he was causing and not spilling a drop, Jin shrugged.** "To me, it just means you have to try harder to break it." **

One movement like a slash and he downed the bitter brew, hardly tasting it as it made its way down his throat to settle in whatever organic machines resided down there.

The action was as much for the drama as to save him the flavor. Perhaps things had changed, but he doubted this included his palate. The broth of dead Grimm like a blackish, brackish miso soup was all he had known for so long- he still remembered the taste of _real_ miso and the unparalleled flavor of the noodles which made up ramen, but he could never replicate the flavor with his current physiology. Yet another thing he could hold in resentment over the one called Naruto. To Jin, salt was sand, and anything sugar had a metallic tang. Food itself was pure, fetid, garbage, regardless of preparation; be it burnt to a crisp or a bloody mouthful torn off the still-living creature.

Just like the herbed water though, his toothy smile said he was willing to give fresh meat another try. He had figured the tea would be the least offensive, but simply partaking in the action reminded him of the insatiable hunger he had trained himself to ignore for so long.

"**Now, before we lose another cup, what is it? Why have you brought me here? – I swear, if you say, 'to see if I could'…" **Mulling over the threat like the empty demitasse pinched between his claws, Jin considered the benefit of throwing a tantrum. **"Well… I suppose that's good enough reason as any." **

The reason to share a drink was to find common ground, and Ozpin smiled ironically as he took his first sip. Truthfully, tea wasn't his preference, either. Perhaps he had preferred that his missing child remain a mystery a little longer as well, but they were running out of time.

"The world is getting smaller…" Ozpin spoke wistfully to his drink as if the puddle were all that remained of the oceans between nations. "For the first time ever, we are actually making headway against the Grimm. This is thanks in no small part to your efforts."

Glynda ended up being the only one surprised by this information. Perhaps she'd been too mired in her job as of late, paying too close attention to the Grimm to know if his presence had any redeeming value.

"**I'd say you're welcome, but we both know I don't do it for you." **

"Indeed…" Tea, Ozpin mused, was more appropriate though, because it helped to keep him somber and sober. "…Which is why I am asking you now to hold back."

"Ozpin-!" Forgetting her place in the conversation, Glynda was reminded as the headmaster cut through her contention.

"Less resistance from the Grimm means that there is a greater push for humans to expand again. The council is putting pressure on me to consider retaking Mountain Glenn, and there are even talks about expanding settlements southward. At the same time, my sources in Vacuo say that voices in their government are looking at the more fertile territory to the North. Confrontation between kingdoms will be unavoidable. It's just a matter of years, or possibly even months."

"**War is always inevitable." **Smiling vindictively, Jin seemed almost eager for a conflict between the Kingdoms.** "I would have thought you'd lived long enough to know that." **

"Yes," With a heavy sigh, Ozpin was no longer able to balance both activities and set down his drink. "I most certainly do. Just as we both know that this is only a temporary measure. When Grimm showed up, they nearly wiped out humanity. It didn't take long to overcome this obstacle, though. And these days, it is all I can do to slow down the progression."

"**My, my, it sounds to me like you are talking about humans as a disease." **

"Hatred and fear are the disease, embodied by the Grimm. And I'd sooner have people, humans and Faunus, fighting together against them for as long as possible. Rather than one another."

"**But what **_**will**_** happen when the Grimm are no longer?" **Reminding Ozpin that as long as the man in front of him was supporting it, this goal was also inevitable. **"Once I kill all the Tailed Grimm the small-fry will not last long, even to your huntsmen- even with you impeding efforts. **

"**I'll tell you what happens after: you'll go back to killing the Faunus. When they're extinct, your 'precious' people will go after the ones amongst them with the darkest skin. Or maybe it'll be the other way around, and the ones who were white will be charred to ash at the stake? What about those with blond hair? A sign of divinity, or a stigma? **

"**Or, it could be a conflict of theology, all ideals being equally flimsy. We'll see the rise of the Cult of the Dark Brother- won't that be fun? I could even be their patron saint! -Or maybe not, it doesn't really matter. There will always be fear and hatred towards the different and unknown. So, what will you do with that enmity when your convenient scapegoat is gone?" **

A blunt question but delicate answer, a vicious smile but a vulnerability that was even more carefully crossed. As much as he claimed disinterest with mankind and their machinations, Jin was still a part of their world. -And them, a part of his.

"Simple," Ozpin said with a smile he had been saving up for years. "We will teach them to embrace it."

Hatred flared and sparked fear throughout the room. Again, Glynda was supposed to be the dispassionate observer in all this, but she found her alarm buoyed by the waves of animosity rolling off the Grimm.

Then, it stopped abruptly.

"**Tch, good luck with that." **Jin said as he dusted off what appeared to be ash from his shoulder- just as pretended to brush off the effect Ozpin's words had on him.

But Ozpin had uncovered a memory he had long-since buried, and the internment was not so easily replaced.

"Well, I assume you'll be helping me with this."

At last, there came a lull in which Glynda was not assaulted by shock from either side and she could regard each party with impartial scrutiny. Yet neither was giving anything away, and she hadn't the foggiest how Ozpin was going to accomplish his professed goal.

"**You know, I always thought it was the hearing that was supposed to go first." **Listening for contention, his own abnormally soft ears twitched along with the break in silence. **"-But clearly it's the mind. You've finally gone senile if you think I'll help you with your altruistic endeavor." **

"I have no reason to believe I have lost my cognitive abilities quite yet," Not losing his subtle smile, even Glynda was struggling to see what the man was doing. "-And I have every reason to believe that you will see it my way."

"**Then how about a more direct approach since you seem to forget my stance on this: I refuse to help whatever well-intentioned scheme you have cooked up, you old coot." **

"I'm sorry, what was that? I didn't quite hear you." Feigning deafness with a hand cupped to his ear, even Jin allowed a snort after passing his twitch of irritation. "I am perfectly aware that you profess to have no interest with me or my endeavors- other than maintaining your own isolation and anonymity, that is. But it would be for your best interest. Because with the way things are going, I am afraid your seclusion will not be possible indefinitely."

"**Because you assume that humans will eventually muscle in on my territory." **Surmised Jin with a dismissive shrug. **"You underestimate my ability to go unnoticed if I so want. I've been doing it for a loooong time." **

This, Ozpin had to admit, and acknowledge that Jin was probably mocking his prior efforts to find him.

"**Besides, what's wrong with maintaining a little fear? Picture it, some settlers leave a small town to go set up in a nice, quaint new spot. Lo and behold, a couple of survivors drag themselves back a few months later telling tales of monsters and no one ever dares go that way again… you know how it happens." **

"Maybe, but this will not always be the case." Knowing all too well, Ozpin could pretend all he wanted that the situation was hypothetical. But he'd also knowingly helped cover up those types of disappearances when all other options had failed. "Soon there will be no small villages, only cities like the one you see before us; Metropolis filled with people who possess something even more dogged than fear: curiosity."

Jin had no choice but to agree with a taciturn grunt.

"-Which is why I'd like to ease the transition, unlike what was done with the Grimm." Despite Jin's liquid posture and his claws having ceased to knead upon the head of the sofa, Ozpin was clearly the more relaxed of the two. "We've already proved the concept with the eight freshmen. And even the little trial run today shows that you can mingle among us 'mortals'. Eventually, I'd like it if these interactions could become as commonplace with the entire student body as they are with teams JNPR and RWBY."

"**Shouldn't count your Grimm before they hatch," **Jin muttered head lolling back that he might stare up at the moon if there was a clear view through the machinery. **"It hasn't even been a month yet. Just because those kids haven't cracked yet doesn't mean they won't. Then you'll have a bunch of terrified parents and politicians screaming down your neck." **

"That hasn't seemed to stop you." Ozpin said offhandedly, pointedly ignoring the scathing glare sent his way. "Nor, I assume, will it. No matter what decision you or I make, there will be more such encounters with huntsmen. Obviously, I'd like it if they were on our terms and in a safe environment. But I think it'd be even better if you could establish a rapport so we- so that I don't have to worry about making excuses for you."

"**Geeze, everyone's just taking shots at me today." **Though it was something Naruto would have done, Jin felt a specific need to cause mischief for that comment alone. **"I'm not much to look at, but I'm not **_**that **_**bad. And as I've said before**_**, I'm better at hiding than you think**_**." **

There was a moment of déjà vu, where the conversation rewound to the very beginning and made Ozpin wonder whether Jin was simply choosing when to let himself be found out, like a prankster claiming credit for his craft. But the headmaster couldn't afford to let this doubt linger, nor his train of thought.

"Regardless, you will probably need to be vacant from the forest for certain durations. The elder Grimm won't begin to repopulate with you there as a deterrent, and the one or two you can wrangle up like you did for the exam won't do. I can't have my huntsmen be too suspicious- nor get too lax."

"**I'll see if I can't fit it into my schedule." **

Both knew that his 'schedule' consisted predominantly of tracking down the remaining tailed beasts, which meant that he would routinely be out and about searching for them. But Jin could not simply accept Ozpin's new arrangement unconditionally, lest the man wonder what else he did with his ample spare time.

"Oh, and please let me know when you do go out next time," Ozpin chipped in, smug with the small victory Jin allowed him. "Not only would I appreciate forewarning to set up a patrol of huntsmen in the woods, but if we can also keep things as civil as they were today, I would have no problem providing accommodations for you on campus whenever you desire."

Glynda was the one with a problem, not only morally but logistically. Heaven forbid the Grimm be housed in the students' wing- and there was no way in hell she'd get a wink of sleep if that monster were adjacent to the teachers' quarters. Just knowing that he'd be under the same roof today had kept her up the previous night. And then there was the matter of the catacombs underneath the school, perfect for housing the cantankerous creature- if not for its current resident.

Unfortunately for her, it was also clear that none of this was her choice, only her duty to make it work. Ozpin, the unfamiliar personality who was the 'father', was far too enamored with the idea of having his 'son' so close to home. If it had been Ozpin the politician or huntsman, she might have agreed in the wisdom of keeping an enemy so close.

But Glynda the woman wouldn't feel safe so long as Jin could be seen by a telescope.

"**How magnanimous of you." **Jin rolled his eyes. **"Put me up in a hotel for a few days while you seed my home with roaches. Although, I suppose it was never my home to begin with…" **

A lingering bitterness that was not from the tea made its way into Jin's smirk, even as he tried to wave off the inconvenience.

"It is not my intention to force you away," Ozpin was quick to rectify- perhaps too quick, not understanding the depths he was probing. "Quite the opposite. I had hoped to expand your freedoms, eventually, perhaps, even to the point where you could walk undisguised among us. No different than Faunus."

"**So, you want me to be one of your little subjects, do you? Your pets?" **Quickly, the bitterness in Jin's smirk gave way to an outright acerbity that threatened to dissolve relations right then and there. **"You must have me mistaken for someone else. I am not a dog chained to society's perceptions." **

"You know that I mean as equals. In this world, we are _all_ beholden to one another,"Ozpin tried to argue, unaware as his reasoning slipped into desperation and Jin's expression gave way into outright causticness. "Whether you accept it or not, we share this plane of existence. No matter how much you desire to exile yourself, eventually life will find you. And the more you remain an outsider, the more you will present yourself as a mystery and a threat. You _are _powerful, nigh immortal, enough to get your way in most things- But not all, and not forever."

"**Why don't you let me worry about that? I've survived this long, haven't I?" **Jin asked with more enmity that rhetoric. **"Something tells me I might even outlast you, old man."**

"But will you beat out humanity?" Ozpin asked, undeterred. "Their ability- their _need _to overcome is the one thing that is truly immortal. Be it their environment, gods and demons or even their own self-appointed limitations. If you present yourself as immutable, they will seek to uproot you like the mountains themselves. Your strength might halt them for a little while, but Humanity's Will is undying. Each iteration will get smarter and stronger- where they can't win with power alone, they will try to surpass their limits with technology. But man will never stop, never leave you alone until it comes to the final confrontation. And then… I'm not sure who will win, I'm not even sure that there will be anything left to call victory. And that's something that no one wants, even you."

Ozpin was speaking now with more passion than he'd displayed in the lifetime Glynda had known him. Despite this, she was finally starting to understand the logic behind his seemingly emotional actions. It was all he could do. And it was far easier to entreat one obstinate child than make a plea to stir all of humanity. Between the two, Jin really was the lesser of evils.

"…**And what would you know about what I want?" **But the Grimm-Man remained unmoved, becoming an onyx statue to preside for all eternity. **"You speak to me as a child, ignorant of the way the world works. You think of me as selfish, don't you? Well I am. But unlike you humans, I only want what's mine**

"**You say that we share this world, that you're winning against the Grimm- but it's really me who's winning.** **Don't I get a say, then? Look at me! Have you never wondered what kind of hell I've gone through? I've paid my tithe one-hundred-fold and earned the right to watch the world burn if I so desire. **

"**-But I don't. What's wrong with the quiet life? You tell me there's nothing I can do unless I kowtow to humanity's will, that I'll be hunted like you humans hunt your own, that it's just a matter of time before I'm public enemy number one when all I want to do is be left alone. Granted, I'm still not the worst thing out there- yet! But I'm getting close to it, real close… **

"**However, maybe I **_**want **_**to be the bad guy? The vilest of the vile- did that ever occur to you? You telling me that this 'Will' is unstoppable just makes me want to test that theory. Maybe I want that final conflict you mention, have the world stand united and give me their best shot! And no matter who wins- or rather, loses, at least there would be peace, wouldn't there? Yeah, perhaps that peace is really what I want… a finality."**

In contrast to his violent speech, there was a stillness which overcame the room as if the clock above them had reached its final hour. They sat there, on the cusp of the first bell toll which would call every living thing to judgment. The question remained, was this the stillness just before the end, or the one which came after all hope was dead and gone?

*…DONG!... DONG!... DONG!...*

"…**Or maybe that's too much trouble, and I just really like messing with you? Maybe it's too much fun to hang around in the background, poking my head in occasionally and see how you apes struggle to survive on your own," **He said, erasing the previous rant with a whiteboard smile and a shrug. But the two humans couldn't ignore what had been there, the lines in the sand that lingered like contrails in their wide-open eyes. **"Who really knows?" **

It took another two chimes for the hour to reach five o'clock and for Glynda and Ozpin to be able to move again, finally forming words to further them from that desolate purgatory.

It took another hour for the particulars of their modified arrangement to be finalized, Jin agreeing to spend at least half the month within Beacon's walls so long as he did not disrupt classes or daily tasks (or trying not to).

Then there were five more minutes for the Grimm-Man to extract himself from the incredibly comfortable (and now, well worn-in) couch, and another five to dress himself in the robes which had become tangled in his writhing tails.

Which left the rest of the night for the two professors to come to terms with the meeting.

"So…Glynda…" It was seemingly a day for firsts as she detected a slight slur in the headmaster's voice. She said nothing about it, knowing that she would not be nearly so adept at hiding the same affliction. "Do you… do you think he was joking?"

With her remaining brain cells, Glynda contemplated what came prior to their refilling of the porcelain with appropriately vintage liquor. Staring into the bottom of her cup, she tried to divine what dregs remained of the very expensive tea they had tossed out.

"I… think… you were… right… before." Speaking slowly, she had to think more about how to pronounce her words than what she would say.

"You think he… has good in'm?"

But Glynda shook her head, drowning the glass and the headmaster's hopes.

"No…it's just… getting harder and harder to tell…"

* * *

"**Although… I wonder which is it that I really want?" **

As he rode the lift downwards, the question was reflected a thousand times over in that polished metal surface with his own loathsome image interrogating.

'**Come on, how many years has it been, and you pretend you can't tell? What is it that would satisfy you at long last?' **

The grin which he always wore mocked him, reminding him that even with his massive corpse filling out the compartment, he was never alone.

"**What I want is long gone… and what's left Isn't much of a choice, is it?" **He snarled at the unyielding surface. **"Keep running like a scared dog or fight and die like one."**

'**And what about a third choice?' **

"**There isn't one, they were all stolen from me. It all boils down to those two." **

'**There's always a third option. It just sounds like you've already given up.' **

"**You don't get to tell me that!" **

Punching straight through the door's metal alloy, his fist scraped against the stone shaft behind and dragged the lift to a shuddering halt. Wrist deep in quicksilver, the image bent and twisted into a face he never desired to see again- but one which faithfully followed him like his tails. No matter how far or fast he ran, this twisted reflection of his would always be right behind, eyes shifting blue as it caught up again and again.

There was such depth of compassion in them to quench even his eternal anger- which only made him hate them more because they still knew how to forgive, and more importantly, forget.

"**You…hypocrite. You, who were so quick to run away from responsibility… you don't get to criticize the one you left behind with your sloppy seconds. I'm the guy that has to deal with your Remnants, and whether I clean them up or throw 'em away is my choice. Rot in hell, Naruto." **

"**Hell… don't they have a reservation for you there by now?" **

The image which was bent around his fist changed again into another familiar face which stared back with unwavering disapproval. It was a regal visage, handsome as if carved from the stone walls behind and immutable to the technology of the time surrounding him. But it was no less distasteful as it stole back the red eyes of his stare and glared down at him as if he were nothing more than an insect- this was the vision which spawned the legend of the Evil Brother.

"**But Hell would be a vacation. A monster like you would fit right in… No, damnation is too easy a fate for someone as fatuous as you. This is where you belong, an eternal purgatory being buffeted by the winds of fortune until you get your act together. You shamelessly enjoy life while decrying its faults. If it is so bad, fix it! **

"**Use the strength that we gave you! Become the evil that will unite this world- Or else, crush all others who seek to oppress and oppose your will. Your will- the one you inherited from us is the Will of Fire. Two of the strongest shinobi the world has ever seen gave it their all, and now, have given it to you. You are not allowed to quit."**

"**And what if I do?" **

But it was an empty threat, made to a tiny chamber with only him in it. Alone, trapped in that lift which was dead in the water. Trapped in a body that was rotting from the amount of power it kept at bay and run ragged by the wills of its creators. All surrounded in a story whose conclusion had been written long before the beginning.

"**What if… what if I just want to give up? Aren't I allowed… simply to exist?" **

He pulled his arm out of the wall, metal falling away along with reality as he closed his eyes. Standing in the box, he imagined all around him was an open filed endless with possibilities.

But when he opened his eyes, he was still trapped in existence.

* * *

**(1) Neko-musume: Lit. cat-daughter. Actual Japanese legends surrounding females born with cat attributes, often as punishment to the parents. It was said that of all the animals at the Buddha's funeral, only the cat and the snake did not shed a tear. **

**(2) Bakeneko: Literally, changing cat. This is the same character in Bakemono which also literally means changing-thing, but which we usually translate into 'monster'. (Additional note: Henge means 'shapeshifter', and that's what a lot of Yokai are considered). **

**(3) Bakeneko-Yuujo: Specific version of above that masquerades as a prostitute, most famous in the Edo Red-Light districts. They were often rumored to feast upon their clients' flesh. **

**(4) Nekomata: There are two translation to this, 'forked-cat', or 'again-cat', both allude to its two tails and the latter to the fact that the cat is 'born again' into a creature capable of magic (unlike tankui and kitsune which are always magical). **

**(5) Unlike violins which were only rumored to be made of cat-gut, shamisen are actually tanned with cat hide to this day. **


	9. Know When to Fold 'Em

**...Wow, this was meant to be published at the beginning of this week, not the end. I feel like I just stepped into a wormhole on Monday and came out here. Crap. **

**Ah well, better late than never. -I hope, anyway. I also hope that this chapter is a little more up to standard. Believe me, I am not ignoring your comments even though I do get grated by the repetition of the 'purple prose' comment. I agree that it's appropriate as a whole for my work, but to help me, could you be more specific where? (Obviously, my excess is not always obvious to me). I have really tried to cut down on my verbosity and trim away all the self-serving superfluousness, but what can I say? I like words. **

**Anyway, that's part of the reason this chapter took so long, as I actually tried to go back and remove a lot of the 'fat' from parts. It's a continuing art as I try to increase readability but not remove important content. Language is as much a tool as it is a weapon.**

**With that in mind, I choose my words carefully.**

**...Except when I'm being lazy. Aaaaannnnd- go!**

* * *

"Where've you been?"

Blake was away in her own little world- more so than usual. She failed to acknowledge the reality of her team as she walked right past them, her partner's question bouncing off her pale façade like light off the lunar surface.

Fumbling with the rebuff, Yang then looked around to her other teammates and passed the duty off with a shrug.

"Blake?" First try failing, Ruby ran in front of Blake and planted herself in the windup woman's path. "Is everything alright?"

Autopilot disengaged, Blake blinked and tried to remember how to control herself. As speech caught up with flapping gums, the rest of her team and even the members of JNPR caught up with the curious scene.

"I was-" Blake bit her lip to keep the jumble of thoughts she'd been chewing on from spilling out all at once. She herself could stomach the truth only a little bit at a time.

"He's here."

No one within earshot needed this expression to be digested for them, as they all knew who 'He' meant.

"Who?" -Everyone, as usual, except for Jaune who- "-Oh, wait! Never mind…"

"Are you sure it's _him_?" With Jaune recanting it was up to Weiss to ask the stupid question, and she retaliated at the rolling of eyes with a follow up: "But what's he even doing here?!"

"Said something about a meeting with Ozpin." Omitting her part in the encounter with a mumble, Blake hoped that no one asked how she had overheard this.

"With Ozpin? Oh, crud!" Jaune jumped ahead of the others trying to shush him, his mouth like pacing feet running free up and down the hall. "What if- what if this was all a setup? The Grimm and the Headmaster were in league the whole time, and it was all a test to see what we'd do? To see if we'd tattle? Argh! I don't want to be expelled- or have my brain fried!"

"I don't think it's that," Pyrrha argued without any real basis other than she also didn't want it to be true. "Maybe it'll come up but… I can't imagine the headmaster approving of his… _methods._"

Though they agreed for the most part, they also knew that there were probably things the headmaster _had _done that they could never imagine. And that ignorance didn't reassure them.

"I sure as hell don't approve of that pervert." Concentrating on restraining her fists, Yang did not bother disguising her disgust for the Grimm-Man. "In fact, I got a little _bone _to pick with that guy. Now that he's finally come out of hiding, I'd like to give him a piece of my mind before either of them tries to mess with it anymore."

"**Just a piece? That'd hardly be suitable even for an appetizer…" **

In her mind, Yang realized she should have known better. Jin was everywhere, his shadow seeming to appear from the shade they cast on him in the conversation.

"**Personally… I imagine above those ripe hunks of fat and underneath that gilded garnish, there lays little more than a shriveled-up jerky treat." -**And they knew for a fact that underneath the hat like a platter there was surely an insatiable smile as they felt the tables turned. **"-Though I will admit, the hair's a nice garnish to such an already fine **_**dish**_**, it's almost enough to compensate for the lack of substance." **

He'd appeared from nowhere, successfully stealing the wind from the sails and leaving them stranded. Floundering, Yang struggled to navigate her way through the insult so her fury could find a breath of fresh air.

"-Hey! You want to talk about substance, the only thing dried and shriveled up around here is your pathetic little d-!" Oxygen was again denied to the fire by a quick hand clamped over Yang's mouth.

"Heh, heh! P-please don't mind her, um, s-sir." Weiss struggled equally with the decorum as she did the wriggling blonde under her grip. "I-it's just such a p-_pleasant _surprise to see you! I'm sure that Yang's just-"

"**Blech!" **Like a fan, one sleeve-draped paw wiped away the pandering like a burnt scent in the air. **"Such artificial sweetness! I vastly prefer her rage. Such a spicy attitude always provides more of a **_**zing **_**when it finally goes… down…" **If there was any doubt to the double entendre, he gestured beneath the waist with one massive paw. Seconds later, the same one waved off his crude remark.** "Anyway, I really don't know what I have done to antagonize you, Blondie- I mean, other than the obvious. You're the one that like puns, aren't you? Could it be I have stolen your **_**thunder**_**? – No, wait, that doesn't work. It was the short one that had the lightning semblance, right?" **

"Hey! That's me!" Nora bounded forth with her surprise in hand, as eager to be called upon as she was to eschew the attention from Yang. It was obvious even to her that the blonde bomb was bound to go off if provoked further.

"**Ah, yes! Of course, how could I mistake my Queen?" **With a bow, the pretend squire became almost as short as his liege. The genuflect was almost as unbalancing for the students as it was the Grimm himself, and they stared at his bent-over form in wonder.

"Hey, how come you treat Nora nice but then be all mean to me?" Finding her center with a huff, Ruby crossed her arms over it and pouted.

"**Why? I've told you before, pipsqueak." **Rebounding to his full height- which was nearly twice that of the young student- he loomed over Ruby with a guillotine smile. **"It amuses me." **

"Yeah, well my Sis ain't here for your amusement, bub!" By placing herself between said sister and Jin, Yang got closer to the Grimm than she ever wanted- apart from whenever her fist would kiss his cheek. "You've got a lot of nerve-!"

"N-never mind!" Following her partner's preventative actions, Ruby slipped her own hand over Yang's mouth after she slipped out of Weiss's grip. "So… uh, hi again. Now that you're here-"

"**Ah, yes, now that I'm here and speaking of **_**trash…**_**" **Ruby wasn't the only one to flinch as Jin reached within his robes. They all almost took defensive positions as he flicked his wrist and sent the objects flying over his shoulder. **"You should take better care of your property and try not to let it litter about my home."**

Behind him, Pyrrha felt the free electrons within the metal objects as they arched over to her. Both flew directly to her outstretched palms and stuck like they were meant to be there. She recognized her Scroll easily enough- even if it was worse for the wear. But the crumpled ball of brassy metal took a bit longer for her to identify as what remained of her armor, now the size of an orange but with the same, familiar weight.

"Um, t-thank you."

Stuttering in surprise, Pyrrha studied the Scroll littered with scratches and tried to decide whether the device was still usable. The fact that it wouldn't boot up could just be a dead battery.

In contrast, the cuirass was an obvious write-off. The redhead hefted the scrap in her hand and weighed it with the merit of making another. Jin could easily just crush it again. But against anyone else, the protection it provided might still be useful. Therefore, she might see if RWBY's captain was as good with armor as she was weapons.

Jin, too, seemed interested in RWBY. Pointedly ignoring the P of JNPR, he watched the sisters struggle with an undisguised amusement. Blake was meanwhile busy with her one-sided game of chicken, staring at him anxiously and waiting to see whether anything would be said about their prior conversation.

"Um, so Blake said you had a meeting with Ozpin?" Perhaps noticing the woman's discomfort, Pyrrha was all too happy to provide a distraction for herself and others- not the least of which was Jaune who tried to disappear off into the background before he was discovered. "Do you mind if we ask what it was about?"

"**Not at all." **

Neither did he elaborate further- which shouldn't have been a surprise. Jin was not in the habit of surrendering information that did not serve his own interests, and Pyrrha knew this well enough after what some would say was too much exposure to him. What she did not understand was why such a childish snub bothered her so. Her frustration only continued to grow as he turned his large back on her in favor of RWBY's internal turmoil.

"So why _are_ you here?" Giving up on courtesy and restraining her teammate, Weiss redirected her energy to questioning the Grim- which was an effort and an exercise to remain calm.

"**Well, believe it or not, I **_**was **_**invited." **As much as they wanted to deny it, he was already there and walking around like he belonged- though he himself would deny this latter observation. **"You should know that I don't particularly like mingling amongst you mortals. However, Ozpin had a rather… interesting proposal that he wanted to run by me with regards to our **_**interactions **_**of late." **

Nailed to the floor by this sharp word, Jaune stopped slinking away as his worst fear seemed realized. And perhaps realizing this, Jin paused for effect and observed the frightened blond out of the corner of his all-seeing eyes.

"**He seemed to think we get along well, and so brought forth the idea of me stopping by more often. You know, maybe popping in on occasion to serve as a temporary **_**sensei**_**\- oh, what is the word for it again? …Ah, yes, **_**a Professor.**_**"**

Until that point, the Grimm-Man had been a lingering, background threat like radiation. Always there, safe in small doses, and with proper protection and restraints, even beneficial. But now he had snuck into their safe zone like a dirty bomb, this seemingly offhand comment exploding and disseminating raw dread amongst them.

It could have been a false alarm, but the plausibility so contaminated their logic that even Yang in her all-consuming rage was not immune to the thought. Almost hyperventilating already, suddenly she was nearly choking on the possibility of Jin as a P-p-_professor! _

"…Really?"

Of course, the little mutant that she was, Ruby was unaffected by the threat. As she leaned in with curiosity and what might have even been- heaven forbid- _hope _– the others leaned away for fear of catching her insanity.

"**No, of course not." **Jin scoffed. With his disparaging remarks as sharp as his claws, Jin deflated the young girl's aspirations. **"You know, Pipsqueak, I am beginning to think there's no hope for teaching you **_**anything**_**. Ozpin might be questionably optimistic, but even he is not that **_**stupid**_**." **

"My sis isn't dumb!" Finally breaking free from her team's efforts to stifle her and her own petrification, Yang leapt between them and the Grimm. Much as she was vastly overshadowed by his towering body and terrible power, Yang's very reasonable fear was overcome by a righteous fury. "Just because she wants to believe the best in people doesn't give you a right to call her stupid! You claim to want to be left alone but all you do is stick your nose into other peoples' business, reminding us of how pathetic we are. Well, you know what? _You're_ pathetic! All this perverse, perverted- this-this fucking _childishness _is because you want to spoil life for everyone like you think it was for you. You're not a monster- just a broken-ass _loser_.

"But that's fine- that's just fine 'cause we've all got our own problems. And me, oh, I've got _no_ problem talking or fighting dirty. I'm already at your level, so bring it on! But you, leave. My. Sister. Out of it!"

Ruby was too dumbstruck to be embarrassed by her sister's unwarranted defense. Everyone was, apart from the Grim himself who seemed to expect the outburst. The object of Yang's ire continued to wait as still as a votive statue for the woman to lay more insults at his feet.

But Yang had discharged all her animosity like static, leaving her with nothing but a tingling feeling along her scalp and spine as they all nervously waited for a reaction.

And as Blake discovered earlier, it was the waiting which was the worst part. Seeing no motion, no stare, yet knowing that the eyes of God were still lurking behind the screen of calmness.

"Well?" Yang squeaked with her voice now hoarse from yelling.

Well, well, well… they always wanted him to say something, expected him to have all the answers. But no well was fathomless, and he was tired of hearing the hopeful's wishes from his place at the bottom.

"**Well, what?" **He prompted her to dig deeper, or to make her grave somewhere else. **"You're right, more or less- except it's the **_**world **_**that's broken,** **this jerrymandered body is just what fits in the fucked-up picture. I accept my ugliness, after all it's just a reflection of the truth. And life, heh, maybe it is pathetic... It does have this nasty little habit of making us all****losers in the end, ya know?"**

He immediately regretted ending it with that question. Not only because it was a verbal tick left over from that Uzumaki roach. But also, because it was the truth.

Such was unbecoming of him. Bitterness was like an earthy root that masqueraded as something medicinal: easy to spit out after chewing on it just a little bit. It had not been his intent to heal- nor help them understand his worldly affliction. He didn't care what they thought of him- even less that they understood. His life was his own!

But that was an outright lie.

"**-But make no mistake! I have damn well earned the right to be a pissy little bitch if I want! And if your precious little 'Sis' wants to partake of my cynicism, the more power to her… or perhaps not? You'd probably prefer if she remain the cute little idiot and never become a threat- is that it? Oh, I know you don't like me. But the truth you resent underneath all that gilding is the thought that you're not as **_**good **_**as her." **

"What? No!" This accusation clearly caught Yang off guard, and she flinched as if the finger pointing at her had sunk under her skin. "-Quit trying to change the subject! This is between me and you-!"

"**Wrong!" **Jin announced, a hint of glee taking over his prior grimness. **"This is between me and the Pipsqueak- and you're just trying to hitch along for the ride. It's about being marginalized. Not so much me corrupting your sister as 'spoiling' the easy little life you had planned out. That 'free-spirit' you claim to have is only free as long as it's got a comfy little nest to return to."**

"Hardly! You're the biggest drama queen here, and I doubt you'd be able to live without hearing the sound of your own voice!"

"Should we… should we do something?" Hoping he couldn't be heard over the argument, Jaune also held out hope he wouldn't have to get involved. As much as the nominal captain felt he was neglecting his duty, he valued his life over his sense of responsibility. "…This could get bad."

"Yes, but…" Frowning, Pyrrha followed the back and forth. The feeling of danger such that she had in the forest had already passed, as soon as Jin had redirected the focus from him to Yang. Now the banter was about as light-hearted as the dark creature ever got. "I think that he's actually enjoying this…"

And that was reason enough to stay out of it, for neither were so foolish as to intentionally get between the Grimm and his entertainment.

Ruby, on the other hand…

"Yang!"

Tired of being talked about like she wasn't there, the captain threw herself into the stormfront. Her heated interjection shattered it into a mere squabble and Jin backed off. He was once again content with simply watching the spittle fly between the two like rain.

Suddenly he was becalmed, a ship without sail or direction. The swirling, red eyes of the storm drifted over to team JNPR…

"Don't think this is over!" Yang emerged above the clouds of dust with her sister underneath in a headlock. She glared back at the Grimm with eyes that were nearly as red and many times more impassioned.

"**Oh?" **Although, some of that excitement did seem to bleed over into Jin's own crimson gaze as he looked upon Yang like bloody raw meat. **"Well in that case, you know where to find me." **

"Yeah! Right here, right now!"

Their excess thoughts died out along with the fervent tapping-out on the blonde's arm. This sudden lack of motion made Yang worry that she had hurt her sister for a second. But Ruby was more concerned about her sibling than herself, and she took advantage of the pause in pressure to sneak out from Yang's hold. Once free, she drew a breath so she could resume yelling at her-

"Woah, hold your horses there, Fresh-meat." Though a good deal calmer than Ruby's red-faced yell would have been, this new voice still carried with it sufficient concern. "Do ya really think it's a smart idea getting on this guy's bad side? He seems to be friends with the headmaster, after all."

Yang snorted at the statement that, while not inaccurate, didn't describe the half of it. Demonstrating her contempt with a hand on her hip, she dared turn away from the Grimm and towards the newcomers.

"Please, do you even know who this is?" The first-year challenged, already knowing full-well that she was being foolish. "Furthermore, who're you guys?"

"I'm Coco Adel, captain of team CFVY. I'm in my second year along with these three: Yatsuhashi Daichi, Velvet Scarlatina, and Fox Alistair." Matching poses with Yang, Coco looked down with her own scrutiny on the blonde's ruffled appearance. "And isn't he like your teammate's uncle or something?"

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Ren said for all of them, not saying how grateful he was for their interruption.

"Likewise, I guess." Eyeing the other seven from behind her sunglasses. "And given our own run-in, I suppose I can't criticize your attitude. But I can advise you newbies on the rules around here. Family or not, try to represent Beacon in a good light, K? Meaning, watch the language around the public and try not to get into fights in the middle of the hall. If you're really set on settling your family feuds, I'd recommend asking Goodwitch to borrow her arena. But she had a sub today for sparring class, so I don't know where she's at."

"**Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about it, Ms. Adel." **Unfettered by any of this, Jin joined in like it was the most natural thing for him to do so. **"I don't make it a habit of holding onto bad feelings. So, I've already forgiven you and your team for this afternoon, as I have my niece's partner her harsh words." **

Naturally showing his allegiance, Jin sidled up between said blonde and her partner. The veil now drawn between them, Blake tried to meet Yang's eye but could only see the glint of mischief in the Grimm's.

"**While I know I'm not the most approachable person, we were just having a little fun. Although I must admit, I find the thought of a challenge… amusing." **Though he was the only one who would think so, it did not stop others from entertaining the idea and collectively shivering.

"Be that as it may," Coco choked, feeling for a second a fraction of the dread Fox was forced to endure. Still, she was curious. "I still can't allow an unsanctioned spar between students and civ's. Heck, I don't even know where to find Ms. Goodwitch right now or I'd be happy to ask her to bend the rules."

"**That's not a problem. I just now left her and the headmaster to their relaxations. Alcohol doesn't agree with me, so I excused myself for some… more **_**lively **_**company." **

"Ah, well then-"

"_**And **_**if it were truly an issue for my dear Deputy," **Reaching back into the fathomless space between folds in his robes, he withdrew an innocuous looking card. **"-Then she probably wouldn't have leant me the key to her arena, would she?" **

Any arguments there might have been were now reduced to a series of unintelligible 'ums' and choking grunts like the passing of a gallstone- just as painful too as they felt his victorious smirk and what it promised.

"B-But, uh-"

"**-Of course, that is, if you would be so kind to sanction the match as the responsible and **_**helpful **_**second-years that you are…" **

There were these were words, sentences that made sense, and suggestions that were slowly swaying them to his side…

"**No problems then, right?"**

But there was something more there- yet not there- like his inextant stare. Even those that did not know who or what was in front of them still knew that there was something amiss within the logic- within the _being _who had implanted himself in front of them and in their thoughts.

Yet remiss of reason, they had no choice but to see where it all went.

"**Shall we?"**

* * *

Word spread quickly, as it always did.

Things progressed rapidly while the adults were away. The headmaster's hands were erstwhile occupied with his drink, and his eyes were on the past or future- but not on the security cameras like they probably should have been.

However, there was one who was always watching with eyes that had seen far too much. And it might have been His silver tongue which let the secret slip to the student body. But now, the voices of dozens of teens eager for excitement hid his hand in the production.

It was all an act, the spectators didn't buy tickets for the spectacle, but they sold it. Having other students there legitimized the fight- or rather, made it seem like a much lesser misdemeanor. Their presence was of some comfort to Yang and the others, along with the implicit promise that things wouldn't get too out of hand with a public audience.

-Although, they kind of were already.

"I'm ordering you not to fight him." Asserting herself, Ruby stared seriously down at her sister with an authority they both knew was as real as Jin's cover story.

"Sorry Cap'n," Yang apologized as she buckled on her gauntlet, naked hand roughing her sister's hair. "But I think I'm in too deep."

"You're only now realizing it?" Mocking her without malice, Blake knew that she had no right to say anything. No advice, either. She was only standing by her partner for moral support. "Although, I think that we've been over our heads for a while."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Snapping the other guard in place and smashing her fists together, Yang hopped to her feet. "Oh well. Best face death with a _Grimm_." Forcing a lopsided grin like she forced the pun, she lamented. "Damn, that was awful. Hope I get a chance for a do-over."

"Just don't do it in the first place!" Still barring her sister's path from the ring, Ruby threw her arms out for what little good it would do. "This is insane- no, it's stupid! I don't need you defending my honor or anything like that."

"Sorry, Sis," More empathetic this time, Yang raised her hand only as high as Ruby's shoulder and gave a squeeze. "But this really isn't about you."

"Huh? But then, wha-"

"It's about _Him_." Jaune joined their little cabal with his head hung low, as if not looking at Jin meant he couldn't be seen. "It's about how it's _always _about him. The fact that he just barged in and took control of our lives- our thoughts- _and how he keeps doing it_! Nowhere seems to be safe and nothing's sacred anymore because he can just come in and destroy it. It's about… peace of mind.

"If Yang can stand up to him- let alone land a hit, it means that he's not invincible. He'll become less than a nightmare and just a really, _really _scary and dangerous thing… but one that can be touched."

"Yeah, that's just about the gist of it." Approving the summary, Yang gave her fellow blonde a gentle check on the shoulder. While Jaune looked like he'd be bowled over by a stiff breeze, she was happy to see he barely flinched. It was a small confirmation that things were getting better. "What'd ya know? Looks like you do have a head on those shoulders. Guess your being here wasn't that much of a mistake after all."

"Maybe," Jaune nodded morosely, accepting the compliment if not the premise. "But I still can't do what you do."

"Psh. You'll get there." Tired of the banter which felt like parting words, Yang felt the need to reassure herself. "Besides, it'll be alright. Fairly certain I'll live, at least. He's not going to pull out the big guns in here. Doubt he'd want to cause too much damage to Oz's school- to say nothing 'bout me. I might get banged up a bit. But believe me, I'll make him pay for it. I won't go down quietly that's for sure."

Doing her best to sound confident, but her voice got so soft towards the end it was overcome by the crowd's swelling whispers. Impatience mixed with anxiousness as the students eager for the match to start were worried somebody in authority would come down to stop it. Idly Yang noted that if circumstances were different, she would be among those braying for blood. It was a bit different when it was her own.

"Yang,"

Though in her musings, she didn't notice the blood-red hair until it was practically in her face. Pyrrha pushed her way through the others, leaning in to place hands on her shoulders and sequester them from the others.

"Pyrrha, hey," Trying to greet the woman with an aloof smile, the stony seriousness staring back from green eyes was like looking at her own epitaph written over with moss. "Geeze, did everyone come to see me off? At least I know I'll have more mourners than the weeping widow over there." She gestured at the veiled Grimm who stood as still as a statue over the graveyard. "Although, it'd be nicer if you could give me some pointers that I might actually win."

"You won't beat him."

"…Wow, thanks for the pep-talk, that really help-"

"You won't beat him. But that's not what this fight is about, is it?" Killing her hopes along with the self-defeating sarcasm was the first step to keeping Yang alive. "You're right that he probably won't kill you. But he will beat you- probably badly. He will humiliate you. He will try to break you while trying to get you to break your own rules. You can't let that happen. This is all a game for him, and you can't play by his rules. Don't pay attention to anything he says and don't let yourself get riled up. The way you win is by denying him a victory. Fight knowing that we're all here with you, and don't give up."

"Hadn't planned on it." Though she hadn't planned on receiving such a pre-fight speech from the champion, it had admittedly helped her put things in perspective. She thanked the redhead with a hearty pat which broke their huddle. "Although, can't say that I won't try to get in at least _one _good hit."

"If you do, remember that his head is almost as hard as yours." Blake slipped in with her own sendoff, rubbing her wrist in remembrance.

"Noted." Shaking her shoulders loose, Yang stepped into the illuminated ring. "Gee, this is starting to almost sound fun."

"**Couldn't agree more…" **Stirring at the sight of his 'sparring partner', Jin looked her up and down with appraisal. Strangely, it wasn't like the lecherous looks she expected or was used to. Rather, more analytical, detached. Also, somehow simultaneously better and worse- not merely a cow being appraised for her udders but prematurely dividing her into the best cuts of meat.

"We gonna start this or what?" Waiting, fighting the pre-fight jitters, Yang found herself at a disadvantage because she'd never been so nervous before a spar before and didn't know how to deal with it.

"**I suppose we are set…" **Not needing to see through the darkness to team CFVY at the classroom's controls, he was ready before they gave the thumbs-up.

"Great. Then what are we waiting for-?!"

"**Yare, yare, don't you want to hear the rules first?" **Everyone quieted at his bass voice conducting the pace of the performance. Meanwhile, Yang waited impatiently like a first-chair upon an allegro. **"We haven't even figured out the wager yet." **

"My bet's on the old dude." Changing perspectives from their comrade to the crowd, the other first-year students didn't have to wait for their eyes to adjust to know who was talking. Cardin's smug voice stuck out like a bad note as he effused to his own team. "Look at the way Yang's shaking in her boots. She might hit hard, but she knows she's shit on technique. Or maybe you think she just has a thing for old dudes? Hah! I bet she's a gold-digger, that'd explain why she's been such a tease with all the guys."

As despicable as he was, it was easy to ignore Cardin when the bigger bully was under the spotlight in front of them. They also found it disturbingly easy to hold their tongues, considering they'd likely bet on the Grimm too.

"**How 'bout this?" **Drawing his hand from his sleeve, they waited on bated breath as he held a single digit like a conductor's wand aloft. A middle finger.

"Hey-!"

"**One finger." ** And no more than that. He didn't move except to tuck his other arm behind his back. **"That's all I'll use to beat you. If you force me to use any more than that, you win." **

There was a silent incredulity, not even a whisper to revise bets based on this new info. Though they were all wondering what the supposed 'old man' was thinking, no one would ever guess. Not even the two first-year teams understood what the Grimm man really was, and so they couldn't know what history he was harkening with this challenge.

Jin was remembering another arrogant blond who had faced this impossible challenge so long ago. On the other side now, he wasn't sure whether he was amused that history repeated itself, or angered.

"Are you serious?" As bemused as the rest, Yang also wasn't sure if she was relieved or insulted.

"**What, don't think you can do it? Should I make it easier for you?" **Making it very clear that he was insulting her, Jin still wasn't as much interested as breaking her as the memory itself. **"Fine, I won't even move from this spot. If I so much as move a toe outa line, you win." **

"And is someone going to be keeping an eye on that?" Now more suspicious of his motives, Yang forgot to fake her confidence. So, she added, "-Because I want to know how far I'm'a kick your ass across the room."

Before anyone with views of the cameras could volunteer to take this measure, there was a crunching sound and cracks which emanated from beneath his robes. Stepping back, he showed the stadium the new imprints in the tile floor. Quickly covering them, no one had enough time to question the footprints' odd shape.

"**Satisfied?" **

"_Not in the slightest," _Yang whispered, but threw up her guard nonetheless. "-But I will be once I smack that smile off your face!"

Not seeing a smile, the onlookers didn't comprehend Yang's declaration nor the animosity behind it. They barely caught the moment when she exploded forth, the air in front of her forcibly shoved to the side and friction between atoms setting it on fire. There was no more time to revise wagers as Yang crossed the arena in less than a second.

-And then she stopped even quicker than that with heels screeching against the ground. Getting close enough to kiss that hidden smile, she then managed to reverse direction with a backflip. A couple of appropriately weighted gravity-Dust shells increased her distance from her adversary.

"What the…?" Yang questioned upon landing with the crowd wondering the same thing.

Breathing was ragged and her guard shook as if she had already gone thirty rounds with her opponent. She was _sure_ that she had felt a staggering blow- one which obviously never came as the Grimm had yet to move a muscle. But with a smile as invisible as that strike, he was laughing at her.

"**Ah, ah, ah. I didn't say 'go', did I?" **Waggling that lone finger in front of the cogs in his eyes, Yang felt herself slowly start to get hypnotized by their strange machinations.

"Hey! No using that mind-shit here!" Tearing herself away from the look as sticky as tree sap, she shoved her hands further up in front of her face to prevent the temptation of meeting his gaze.

"**Oh? I thought you wanted to fight? Are we really going to go through the semantics of 'I'm not touching you'?" **Eyes still doing more than that, it felt as if they were exposing more of her than the outfit already revealed.

"Knock it off!" Yang yelled, banishing his stare with a barrage of buckshot. "Eat this!"

Doing little else but covering his chuckle with an arm crossed in front of his face, Jin weathered the hailstorm of lead. It trashed his torn sleeves even further but failed to get past his boney greaves. The few bb's which managed to find meat were all but inconsequential. These mosquito-bite wounds were lost among the folds of his robes, gauzy strips which whisked away the black blood before it could reach the ground.

Not as immutable as the Grimm and being under none of his self-imposed restrictions, Yang sure as hell wasn't going to stay stationary. She danced around him like a cat sharpening its claws, ravishing one spot before moving onto the next. Her pellets continuously pelted his seemingly impervious guard until they were all used up. Breaking to breathe and reload, she surveyed her handiwork to see if it revealed any openings.

"**That almost tickled…"**

To her dismay, most of the holes were smaller than the moth-bites already in the cloth. The only hole in his guard was the one he allowed by opening his arms wide to show her and the crowd the lack of effect. This display didn't do anything to satisfy their disbelief, and many eyes drifted to the scoreboard in hopes that it would reflect a more favorable reality.

But the bio for Jin was like reading an unholy bible. There was only a black card for the face. And though his Aura bar was red, it was still filled to the brim like a syringe with blood. It denoted energy as crimson and foreign as his eyes, which some caught glimpses of as he looked to the audience for his own amusement.

"Oi, your fight's over here!"

"**Is it? I'm still wait-"**

Not waiting, Yang was already prepped for the next round. Now she'd loaded fire-dust rounds instead of the standard buckshot. If she couldn't find a hole, she'd make one.

"Eat this!"

He took her literally.

The fireball seemed to be sucked into the black hole under his hat, returning as a smoky burp which disseminated throughout the arena. The onlookers could taste its sulfuric scent as it landed on the tongues of their gaping mouths.

"…**Okay, that wasn't as good an idea as I thought it'd be." **Coughing a couple of times, Jin used his tucked arm to bump his back and dislodge the lingering ash. **"Gah… horrible…"**

"Awe, what's the matter? _Heartburn?_" Considering this her first victory, Yang allowed herself to croon a little- but only a little, and only in her head. Because while the only groans in the crowd sounded like her own sister, it still wasn't a good idea to divert her attention.

"**Coul-*COUGH*-couldn't resist, could you?" **While Yang chose to simply to grin cheekily down at him, Jin himself smiled as he was doubled over. Drawing a deep breath, he drew back up to his full height. **"I guess I made it easy for you… rest assured I won't be doing that again!" **

His shout turned into a roar as his coughs transformed into a hacking of blue flame. Several fireballs in the shape of mice flew from his mouth and homed in on Yang as she now regretted her moment of hubris.

"Ah, crap!"

Kicking the first one she came across proved to be a poor choice, the flames felt almost wet and stuck to her like napalm. The next time she borrowed a move from her partner, pirouetting away from the attack and fanning out the flames on her legs.

Fighting fire with fire Dust, Yang took advantage of being airborne to smite all the mice at once. Back on the ground, she didn't waste time to bemoan her burned leg. Not losing her cool, she nonetheless charged back at the Grimm with guns a-blazing.

"**If at first you don't succeed…" **While it appeared Yang was about to reiterate her same mistake, Jin wasn't about to repeat his. Although, he might still take another page from history. **"…Hit a little harder." **

Not moving from his spot, he hit the ground with a stomp that dislodged none to few tiles and sent them into the air. Most of Yang's consecutive shots hit this chaff, exploding on impact and sending ceramic shrapnel to all corners of the arena. The students in the stands ducked and hid behind desks to avoid becoming part of the spar, but were otherwise reluctant to miss a moment of this exciting match.

"Did I get him?!" Hoping simply for a scratch, Yang already knew he was still alive behind the rising cloud of her barrage. Therefore, she was _almost _prepared when the plume of smoke parted for several bullet-sized bits of tile that flew out with velocities rivaling her sister's sniper rifle.

No time to dodge, she tried mimicking her opponent and covered her exposed face with her arms. To her credit, Yang weathered the shards which shredded holes in her outfit and attacked her arms and legs like a sandstorm. Though she was grateful when it finally let up, she didn't even want to look and see how far her Aura had fallen.

"**Not the brightest bulb, are you?" **Carelessly tossing a pebble-size (for him) rock in his hand, Jin let it pass the apex of its arch before flicking it with his middle finger at Yang who threw herself to the ground this time to avoid the projectile. **"How's that? A few more times and we might have you dodging right." **

"Are you sure it isn't just you who's completely wrong? I mean, aren't their laws about being this OP… like _physics?!_"

Loading the last of her ammo while still on the ground, Yang threw herself up with an extra boost from two wind-Dust shells that she aimed at the arena floor. Eclipsing the light high above the dark figure, she carefully aimed her gauntlets down and let loose two more air bullets at Jin.

Depending on which way the fortunes blew, she knew the shots would at least puree what remained of his robes, or else knock him off his roost entirely- either way, they would get him to move.

Doing neither- doing _nothing, _he stood there as the winds parted like they were his servants bowing in reverence. And though they hadn't been expecting much, the entirety of RWBY and JNPR were dumbstruck by this easy denial. Oh, they could see the ripples of heat sloughing off Jin well enough to know what had happened, but that still didn't change the fact that-

"That's so fucking cheap!"

But Yang refused rational, screaming from on high and halting her descent with another two rounds pointed towards the ground. Not expecting anything different below, the shots served to send her back towards the ceiling. Then the gothic arches focused her rebound, so she flew at Jin like missile.

Already on that ballistic trajectory, Yang didn't care that he was tracking her with those laser-like eyes. She wound up for a punch that would be devastating if it hit, fully aware that the 'if' was a bigger barrier than the wall around Vale. The gap between their abilities was greater still, but the physical distance between them closed with a blink.

There was a moment when everyone in the crowd thought they had blinked. Was there something they had missed, like an illusion only Yang could see as she missed her stationary target? They all watched as she plowed straight into the ground with that harrowing haymaker.

But Yang's target wasn't center of mass. Having already experienced first-hand the rigidity of his armor, she took her partner's advice and didn't go for the head. Instead, she aimed for the exposed extremities. Like his feet.

Kicking up on one leg like a flamingo to avoid getting his toes crushed, Jin cursed as he was set off balance. It was much harder to steady himself when his tails were tucked so close into his body, and so he swiped out with one paw both to try and stabilize and to snag that irritating blonde.

For as fast as he was though, Yang had planned for this and was already on the move. Blowing through her remaining Dust, she used the shot shells to stay just ahead of Jin's drunken strikes. She bobbed through his limbs and wove through his cloak as it whipped around, lashing out with her own attacks where she could before she ran dry.

Then she ran, leapt away from the flailing Grimm before he could catch up. Also, before she herself could land a solid blow. But Yang was counting the seconds she survived as victory enough.

"Ha! How was that?!" She exclaimed, shadowboxing far enough away from the shadowy figure that he wouldn't be able to hit her. "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee! Ha, ha! Looks like you missed me!"

Another memory hit Jin with what felt like a big, black fist keeping time to a shaky beat. His mind was being squeezed by a lariat as Yang's limericks were forced into another's mouth. He didn't know whether to hold his head or his ears as both threatened to burst under pressure.

But then he found his hand occupied by something which brought him back to the present, and he stood up.

"**Don't **_**ever **_**rap again. I'd say stick to puns, but it'd be doing us all a favor if you'd just quit talking altogether." **

"Sounds to me like you can't keep up with the current trends." Yang jibed and jabbed, not losing her momentum as she hopped back and forth on her feet. "Old age gettin' to ya?**" **

"**Har, har. Best count your blessings while you can, Brat. You'll **_**wish **_**you looked half as good as me when you're shriveled and sagging." **Recomposing himself from the flashback and fistfight, Jin held aloft what he was pinching in his fingers like he was offering up a rose. **"Because you know what they say… **_**hair **_**today, gone tomorrow!" **

He then let the tuft of Yang's hair he had stolen float away in the wind.

"**N**o- no, no…" Lurching forward and then halting like she had run into a wall, Yang knew what was in front of her was in fact a hurdle she had to surmount sometime. She couldn't afford to get angry, not against him. "Oh, you'll pay for that, though…"

"**It is a shame that nothing golden will last… say, which do you think will be the first to go? Your so-called 'friends', or your family? Considering you've already driven away two mothers…" **

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about that… _would you_?" It was obvious to everyone that Yang was rapidly losing her cool, and the match would be over soon after if she couldn't restrain it. Knowing this, Yang quickly rectified: "-At least I know who my mom is. I can only imagine what kind of cesspit spawned you. She probably offed herself in shame."

"**Like I've said, I'm a product of this world." **Jin said, almost proudly, ignoring the scandalized sounds from their audience. **"Speaking of, what of Tai's other offspring? How long do you think she'll stick by you when she realizes you're only using her kindness for your own means?"**

"You're thinking of yourself! Ruby would never-"

"**-Think like me?"** Pretending to think, Jin used the single finger to tap his chin. **"I seem to recall a certain rose seeking my advice. But ****I am sure you have nothing to worry about. Rest assured, even when you're long gone in search of mommy dearest, I'll still be here to **_**educate **_**her ****properly when the time comes."**

"…_**You...**_"

"She just lost." Pyrrha said with a sigh, falling back into the bench seat that was waiting for her, along with Ruby who wanted an explanation but also to remain unnoticed.

"To be fair, she lasted longer than I thought she would have." Trying to remain detached and not become disheartened with this foregone conclusion, Weiss pointed out her teammate's plusses at the same time the blonde bombshell literally exploded in the background. "She tried probing his defenses and kept him at a distance for the most part. Frankly, I can't believe she went toe to toe like that for so long and came away basically unscathed."

"He was still just toying with her." Staring at the standoff, Pyrrha didn't need to see Yang enter her berserker rage. And neither did Jin as he stared back at the redhead in the stands. "He could have easily taken her head instead of a few hairs."

"Yeah…" Weiss relented after thinking about it reluctantly.

"Let's just hope there'll be enough to clean up once he's done."

"I'm _done _playing your games…" Blind with literal fire in her eyes, Yang knew but no longer cared that she was playing right into his hands. She could try all she wanted to pretend like the goading didn't bother her, but the moment he brought her sister into it… "I'm gonna kill you."

"**Oh, so are you finally trying?" ** Inviting the inevitable with a wave of his hand. **"I suppose I should have told you to do so from the beginning. No matter, let us have our final dance so these youngers can get on with their lives." **

For the students, Yang's cry was an omen for the end of times. But the Grimm who'd lived through that terminable hour couldn't consider it a serious threat. And in light of the dozens of pissed-off women he could remember facing, she didn't hold a candle. Even as her feet seemed to ignite with friction at every step, she would still be a thousand years too late to compete with them or him.

Were he capable of being moved, her determination in the face of the insurmountable might have impressed him. But he'd seen too much of this stubborn trait, and all it did was stir a sigh of disappointment as it seemed history was doomed to repeat itself.

Was it his fault for expecting more? Or was he expected to do something to change it?

He could kill her. All it would take would be a tiny extension of his claw to sever her head clean off.

Or, he could extend her life a little longer by teaching her this lesson. Only time would tell which was the bigger cruelty, but he'd already made his decision.

It was painful enough already as the single flick to the woman's forehead sent her spiraling out of the ring, through the classroom wall and possibly through another if the cacophony of noise was any indication. Even after her body recovered from being battered around like that, the agony of humiliation would likely last for weeks- if not the rest of her school career.

That is, if word would spread from the classroom. Right now, the spectators were once again speechless. They were torn between gaping at him and the gaping hole in the wall, the handful of first and second-year teams hadn't been prepared for so ignominious and ending.

"**Well… I take it that means I won?"** The only contention was the scoreboard which refused to show a victor, only an error message over Yang's depleted Aura proclaiming, 'out of range'. **"I will say that counts as a ring-out." **

"Ha, told you! Pay up, losers."

When the reality had trickled down so that even a meathead like Cardin could understand it, Yang's fellow first-years finally moved. Most leapt from their spots, ignoring both Jin and the jock on their way to administer medical attention to their friend.

But Blake wasn't one of them. She stayed close to the ring because she wasn't sure she could do anything to help her partner- let alone face her after such a shameful defeat. But also, because she suspected that the performance wasn't over.

Sure enough, as the credits were being tallied up, Jin once again hailed their attention.

"**Well, that was hardly satisfying." **There were some who would agree if they weren't frozen by his interruption or else counting their losings. **"Maybe someone else would like to give it a try? How about it, Second-Years? Team CFVY, didn't you offer to entertain me?" **

"Ah-ahem," Realizing that she was being talked to, Coco was beginning to come to the realization that Fox had earlier: that they were way out of their league. Without needing to confirm with her team, the captain cleared her throat which had become dry from being open for so long. "On behalf of my team… I think, ah, we're gonna take a rain check on that one. Besides, someone's got to see to the controls, right?"

"**Tsk." **With a disapproving sound like a snake he made the four collectively flinch. **"True. Still, I trust from where you are, you got a good show… right, Velvet?" **

"Eep!" Where the darkness wouldn't seem to hide her, the Faunus cowered even further behind her friends in hopes that it would hide her from 'uncle' Jin's penetrating gaze.

"**You know, I don't normally like it when people take my picture without permission. I usually charge for it." **And even though she was now smothering it with her fetal body, he apparently also saw her special camera. No doubt, already knowing what was so special about it too. **"I hope you at least got my good side." **

"I-I didn't mean to!" Her fearful protest made some of the other students with scrolls think twice, their fingers seeming to freeze above the buttons to post the video online. "I didn't even take any pictures, I swear!"

She truly hadn't. Finding no weapons among his person to photograph, there was nothing for her to copy. The match had been too short to even reveal anything about his fighting style, other than an Aura manipulation that was many times more dexterous than her own.

"**Maa, maa. That's alright. Perhaps you'd like to get another chance? What'd ya say? Ever since you ran into me, I've been looking forward to having a… **_**taste **_**of what you're made of." **

Velvet had the sensation that she was being eyed for her flesh and wanted to protest that she was nothing but skin and bone, sinuous muscle not suited for a snack to that massive man. But that only made her wonder what _he _was made of. Was there armor underneath that drapery, or were those bone-white greaves really-?

"Oi, oi. I'm not sure I like the way you're eyeing our bunny." Hesitant though she was to put herself in harm's way, Coco was already in front of her partner.

"**Oh, come now, Coco. I meant no disrespect." **Though they were sure he was lying through his teeth, they couldn't see the Cheshire smile in order to tell. **"Besides, we both know that bunny is **_**fully **_**able to speak **_**and **_**fight for herself. So, how about it, Velvet, what'd ya say? I'm even amenable to a two-on-one if your captain can't ****bear**** to be away from you for that long."**

Too consumed with what she _thought _she saw behind the tattered curtain, Velvet didn't see the compliment for what it was at first. When she finally realized the spotlight was on her, she felt her body radiate a flush to light up the stands.

"W-well, the thing is I-I-"

"-I'm not finished with you!"

Aghast, as she thought the words had emanated her open mouth, it took Velvet a minute to figure out where they came from. No one expected anything to return from that one-way hole in the wall. Thus, when Yang emerged, it was like she was being born again. Panting, disheveled, and lightly whimpering, she dragged herself forward against the ground and the gentle protests of her comrades.

"**Oh? You're still alive, are you?" **It wasn't hard to hide sarcasm when he was admittedly mildly impressed. **"Though it seems, barely. Why don't you let your team treat you? It's what they're there for, right?" **

"We're not… done." Shewing the helping hands away with half of her remaining strength, Yang reserved the other half for glaring at the Grimm. "Rules… never said…*cough*!"

Saying no more, it was enough to jog Jin's memory. Sifting through the recent thoughts, he realized that he had been too anxious to start the match and failed to specify any other criteria but his own restrictions. And one glance down at where his feet should be, showed that they were _not _where they should have been. He chortled.

"**Heh, heh, heh… well then, it looks like… you win." **

"Hu-huh?" The half-thought from Yang was shared amongst the rest of the students- not nearly enough to form a coherent picture.

"**I never did say that a ring-out was a loss. And since I moved from my spot first…" **Gradually the group came to understand the train of logic, started to grumble and complain as their bets were reversed and convictions overturned. **"…Do I hear any protests?" **

There was not even a peep or a shuffling of feet or paper I.O.U's as this threat was calmly broadcast through their ranks. All was silent as a grave until Yang gave up the ghost with a relieved sigh and collapsed against the concrete floor.

"Phew… that's a-"

"Man! That's total bull…"

Neglecting to watch his volume of his gripe, Cardin and his cohorts suddenly found themselves eyed by the disgruntled crowd.

"**Not satisfied, hm?" **This included a pair of mischievous red eyes belonging to the person they bet on. Though they couldn't remember seeing his stare before, now it was burning itself into their memories with a glow as hot as iron. **"Does team CRDL wish to contest the results?"**

The fact that this person knew their team name wasn't nearly so as disconcerting as the knowledge that he had somehow gotten several steps closer to them in an instant. Suddenly he was upon them, throwing off the spotlights from his shoulders and assuming the mantel of silent predator.

"Yeah, I do." Cardin stepped up to protest, his bravado finding a comrade in ignorance. "I think you threw the match."

"**Did I?" **Finding himself more concerned with checking his nails, those razor-sharp weapons suddenly became Cardin's main concern as well. **"This was just a **_**friendly **_**spar, and no one forced you to partake in **_**gambling**_**. It remains to be seen why you placed your faith in a stranger, anyway, instead of your classmate."**

"Please, we all knew that the bimbo didn't stand a chance." Knowing he was probably going to pay for the comment later, Cardin still somehow had to keep a straight face with the blonde yelling curses at him in the background. "-And you're just challenging the second years to try and make the Faunus look good."

It was more than just team CFVY who glared at Cardin for his offhand insult, but he couldn't feel the other enmity past the prevailing sense of dread straight in front of him.

"**Is that what you think? You clearly don't know me very well." **Listening in,Blake knew that all of them were but peons in the eyes of this monster, yet she still couldn't help hoping he would take Cardin down a notch further still. **"But still, you think you can do better than either of them?" **

"Ain't got nothin' to prove to you, old man." Cardin scoffed at the obvious goad- he wanted to scoff, but his tongue had swelled and sweat seemed to slick away all his thoughts.

"**Not this old man, no," **Though it felt like he was whispering in Cardin's ear, Jin was calling him out to the whole crowd who were still eager for more blood sport. **"-But I wonder, what would **_**your **_**Old Man say? Think he'd approve of your activities? Yes? No? -You're right, politician like him probably wouldn't care… so long as you come out on top.**

"**So as it turns out, ya do have something to prove. Because the way I see it, you're calling me a liar. Now, I pride myself on being equitable, so I take offense to anyone saying otherwise. You think I threw the match? You think you're better than the little bunny? Well, here's your chance to prove it."**

"How did you-?" Knowing that it wasn't that hard to figure out what is parentage was, Cardin shook off the shock and paranoia creeping like cobwebs over his conscience. "Yeah, right… What's in it for me?"

Jin grinned. Dealing with greed, with fear and stupidity were vastly easier than butting up against idealism. More enjoyable too. Such silky-smooth social mechanics were like… lubrication for those who were hesitant.

"**I gotta spell it out for you? Fine. Double down with the little pool you kids got going out here. If you lose the bout, then at least you get your money. But, between me and you… if you win, I'll let you name your prize. I'll reimburse whatever you lose with your bets, I'll admit I forfeited with the bimbo, I can even put in a good word for you with Ozpin…" **

"And if I- you… win?"

Even if Cardin had known he was but a big fish in a small pond, in front of him now was a shark with innumerous teeth to rip him to shreds and only disguised by a gossamer thin veneer. The tall boy had suddenly become very small and so very alone within that long shadow cast by the giant.

"**If I win…" **More than just a possibility, it was a prediction being whispered in his ear. **"…Your ass is **_**mine**_**." **

"What? Hell-no!" Cardin tried to retreat from the absurd wager, but it was then that he found himself truly alone as his teammates scooted away from him and his back against the wall.

"**No?"** Feigning surprise even as he led Cardin into a corner. **"I see, you want a sure thing, a **_**fool's bet**_**, eh? Fine. I'll take **_**all **_**of you on. Four on one with the same rules as blondie- plus standard tournament guidelines, can't be making the same mistake twice. You still get whatever you want, but I'd just like…" **Pretending to think about it, pretending like he was giving a choice, **"-An apology. How about that? Sounds like pretty good odds to me."**

It sounded too good to be true. And Blake was sure if that she was in Cardin's shoes, she never would have thought twice about rejecting such a ludicrous offer.

But she wasn't- hadn't been, and definitely didn't want to be that haughty huntsman. And so, she was secretly smug when instead of refusing, he said-

"Alright guys, let's gear up!" Leading them towards their lockers the same way Jin led him to this conclusion, Cardin ignored the whimpers of dismay like he had all the warning signs thus far. "Time to beat up on a senior citizen."

"**Alright, ya rubberneckers and vultures," **Jin swept the crowd, dusting the daze from their eyes. **"Take five, we're between the scenes here." **

The gathered gawkers blinked away the stars and stumbled about, wondering why the videos they had taken of the fight were now missing from their Scrolls. Jin then turned to Blake who still stood in the back of it all.

"**I'm surprised you're still here." **He gave a fleering gesture over to Yang who was continuing to try and gain her bearings and breath, coughing out chunks of dust as she tottered like a toddler on her all fours. **"-But not that surprised. What do you want now?" **

"Why-?" She stumbled over her question, and what came out was entirely different than the thoughts she'd put in it. "Why CRDL?"

"**Why? I can't beat up people who actually deserve it sometimes?" **She tried not to smile at his answer, but he made it easy for her by continuing to talk. **"No, you already know the reason. It's because I have to be the biggest bully on the block. She wasn't wrong, your partner, when she said I was childish. Evidently, wasn't wrong to say I'm a loser, either." **

As quick as he had been to profess his motivations, Jin then unhurriedly made his way over towards Yang and the others. But he stopped after only a few hobbled paces when he heard her say:

"I'm not sure I believe you."

She didn't believe his act-either of them, old or young. Like in battle, the holes in his arguments seemed intentional. And his shuffling gait wasn't fooling anybody- she was meant to catch up. Were the attitude and boney armor illusions as well? And what was he hiding behind the black and white exterior?

"**Believe what you want." **He allowed, grunt hiding what he really thought. **"-But keep in mind that the wrong thing will often get you killed.**

"The right thing can, too." She added as a fact, knowing this all too well.

"**Yes. **_**Especially**_** that."** With his emphasis, Blake wondered if it were especially true here. Strange as it was though, she'd never considered that his attitude might stem from doing the right thing.** "-But don't mistake what's right for what you want to see. Sometimes it seems to coincide, like now. But just look at me. Underneath my actions, I'm still a selfish bastard." **

On the surface, it sure seemed like coincidence. But that's how Blake knew it was not. Something he said struck her, and a memory morphed out of a phrase like déjà vu.

"And… what lies underneath the underneath?" Blake whispered to herself these words as if they were a form of worship, yet she couldn't even remember from whence they came.

She also wasn't sure, but she thought she heard a reply come from the departing Grimm:

"**That's the question, my cute little students." **

Or maybe, it was all in her head.

"Ooh, my head…" Yang griped, even while she continued to wave away any attempts to give her serious medical attention.

"I'm telling you, you probably have a concussion." Having debased her Semblance to provide the woman an ice pack, Weiss was feeling less like a nurse and more like a nag. "We really ought to get you to the infirmary."

"No. Can't." Shaking her blonde mop in the negative made her so dizzy she nearly toppled over, if not for her sister and the wall propping her up. "-'d Get in trouble. 'S alright, m'fine."

"**Really? How many fingers am I holding up?" **

Bashing the back of her head against the wall was only slightly less grating than the sound of that voice. Yang groaned against the effort of a reply.

"Let me guess…One."

"**Wow. The bump on your head must have made you psychic if you knew that without looking." **Cracking one eye to glare at the current bane of her existence, Yang saw him squatting in front of her with a forefinger aimed at her face. She figured he was probably pointing at the large, throbbing bruise on her forehead that was swelling and preventing her from seeing anything out of that side. **"And look at that- your face matches your eyes now. Lovely shade of purple, by the way."**

"Fuck you."

"**I really think that'd kill you in your condition." **Behind this back and forth, Ruby blanched. She'd intended to listen in to the little powwow to possibly glean some useful info. Then, she'd settled for blackmailing her sister with the swear jar- now she'd rather join the spare change, bottle herself up and lock the lid behind her. But it was too late. **"How 'bout a consolation kiss?" **

Before anyone could stop him, Jin stooped over her with his hat blocking their view. No one would intervene this time- nobody dared to even _think _about what was going on behind that reed screen. But the teens still couldn't help overhearing the wet, slobbering sounds just on the other side and imagine the worst.

"Waa-ah! Ew! Ew! Ew! Gross-gah! W-what are you doing- what even _**is **_this?!"

"**Just a little peck to make the boo-boo all better." **As he backed away, many of the others pressed in as close as they dared around the Grimm to see if the gossip was as juicy as it sounded- It was, but also decidedly more bizarre than they could have imagined with what looked like a couple gallons of green glop covering Yang's head and shoulders. **"We never decided on the stakes… figure this was the **_**least **_**I could do…" **

"You-you-you-" **"The words you're looking for are, 'you're welco-'" **"Dick!"

Suddenly the students all had to jump back as Yang leapt straight up and slugged the Grimm in his re-veiled face.

"Ouch!" Coming back down to her knees and her senses, the woman looked at her unguarded knuckles which were once again bleeding profusely after clotting only minutes before. "Son of a bitch…"

"I told you his head was hard." Blake sighed, signaling her return with an attempt at humor.

"**I'm glad you didn't go for your first instinct…" **Jin grumbled, readjusting his robes near his nether regions and then snapping his jaw back into place with a sound that was almost as disturbing as the slobber. **"Now, can you just calm down and let the goo do its job?" **

About to ignore his advice and her own discomfort, Yang clenched her knuckles in preparation for another round of punching where she'd probably be the one hurt. But then the pain started to alleviate around the spots where the foul fluid dripped, and she watched as her injuries vanished underneath the viscous substance.

"What… is this?"

"**Saiken said he wanted to help…" **Jin mumbled, despondent and distracted as if he were merely relaying a message.

Resisting a retch of disgust, Yang watched with detached fascination as the jelly-like liquid crept up her palm all on its own and swept the blood with it. What was left in its slithering wake was clean and fresh like a sidewalk after the rain. After, the blood-laden solution fell into the draining cuts in her knuckles, sealing them up and leaving only skin which felt as smooth as aloe.

"Incredible," The only one brave enough to say so- let alone voluntarily _touch _the irate girl and the goop, Pyrrha leaned forward and swiped some on her finger. Able to feel it now instead of simply see it, the former farmhand realized that it was more like prenatal fluid than snot. And that just made her more curious. "What's it made of?"

"**Trust me, you don't want to know." **

For once, Yang decided that she could take his word for it. The texture wasn't _that _different from one of her exorbitantly expensive hair-care products, and if it worked… well, she'd cross that bridge when she got to it.

"I think… I'm already feeling better." Trying to stand slowly this time, Yang proved that she didn't quite have her balance back. Luckily, she had no shortage of volunteers to be her crutches once they were assured that what coated her body wasn't contagious. Ruby leapt to give her sister support, throwing herself under the elder and keeping her off the ground. "At least… my headache's going away."

"**Again: you're welcome." **

And with the swelling going down, she was able to glare up at him again with two violet eyes full of vigor.

"I take that back, my _headache's_ still here." Jin grinned, an act that they were getting surprisingly good at discerning behind his mask- saying nothing of getting used to it. "I'm not gonna thank you, ya know."

Jin shrugged the glare easily, both knew it wasn't meant to do much in the first place.

"**Whatever. Now we're even." **

"Even, huh…?" Head clearing and eyes unobstructed, Yang thought on this concept for a few seconds before she spied the path ahead. With a furrowed brow and many misgivings,

She held out her hand.

"**What's this?" **A shaky arm was presented to him, still surrounded in a gauntlet which would need a lot of work once this long day was finally over.

"It's called a handshake." She said, hiding her pained grimace in her cheek. Yang's muscles and mind both wanted to reel at the act, take it back before he took her whole limb as his pound of flesh. "It's what people do when they want to show they're on the level."

His brow arched high above her, like a crow soaring over a mountain top. Yang never felt so small as she stood at his feet.

Her hand was tiny compared to his. It looked chubby, like a baby's fist within her armor. And though her fingers were calloused and dirty, clotted with blood that the goo didn't get rid of, they were still so soft and pink in comparison to the dark claws which reached out to envelop them.

He took it.

It only took three talons to swallow her entire hand. But it wasn't _that _different- he still had five fingers, two arms, two legs, a face- albeit a beastly one. And his touch was deceptively gentle, genuinely warm with lifeblood of some sort throbbing through pathways just underneath the surface. It stood to reason there was a heart beneath all that flesh, bone and bitterness.

-Or maybe what she felt was her own pulse, the organic pump throbbing against her bruised ribcage. It could have been her sister's hummingbird heartbeat, frantic despite the little girl standing unwavering by her side.

Or maybe Yang was imagining all of it, humanizing this obvious monster and dressing him with their conventions like he draped himself in their clothes. He could walk, talk, speak- _pretend_ to be one of them, but was any of this reaching beneath that boney skull?

"**Don't suppose that this is a start of a beautiful friendship." **

"Psh! No way." Unsure whether this had been a question or a command, Yang waved it all off as they parted from the shake. "Even I don't have enough beauty to compensate for your ugly mug."

"**And here I was, just beginning to like you a little." **He remarked without menace.

"Too bad you're still such an asshole."

"Yang, language…" Ruby murmured, feeling left out despite being caught between the two.

"**Yeah, well, I am." **Sounding self-assured, there was still room for doubt as he cast a sidelong glance at the sisters. **"…Too much of one to teach the chibi anything. Maybe with your thick skull you can get through to her, but I'd be sure to lose my patience after the first few inane questions. It'd be a waste of all our time."**

"What?!" Outraged and disappointed, Ruby leapt into the conversation at last.

"Oi, volume, Rubes…" Yang simpered as her ears were assaulted and internal injuries jostled. But being sidelined by this development, she couldn't do much about it.

"**You've got a score of people around you who would be better for you than me, Pipsqueak." **Jin finally addressed the younger sibling only to dismiss her with a scoff. **"-More willing, too." **

"B-but-!"

"**Did I stutter?" **Never. There was no use in fighting once the cantankerous creature had made up his mind. The only ones who could hope to oppose him were the Man himself, and time. So, they waited. **"…**_**Maybe**_** if you are ever able to exhaust them all, I could reconsider whether you're worth my time." **

Before Ruby could even attempt to reign in her hopefulness, Jin added, **"-But until the day you haven't got anything to learn from your peers, you won't receive anything from me."**

Such a day would likely never come. And it almost seemed like he was conceding to Yang with this impossible condition.

-But Hell was more likely to freeze over before the Grimm could be so helpful. So, parsing over his tacit promise, Yang tried to look for any loopholes.

At the same time, Ruby was looking at all her peers as potential allies and adversaries both, nervous and determined as she accepted the challenge.

"Hey, Geezer! We gonna do this or what?!"

While the other students were startled, Jin just brushed off Cardin's blustering challenge. Time was on his side as he turned back to the others, finishing his piece.

"**-Alternatively, you could learn by watching. I'd advise sticking around a bit to see what becomes of those who **_**bite off more than they can chew**_**." **Baring his teeth over his shoulder, chances were that the other first-year team couldn't see it. But the sensation was strong enough that RWBY and JNPR could feel the threat even if it wasn't directed at them. **"…In any case, y'all might as well stay since **_**this one**_** shouldn't sleep for the next few hours. The goo doesn't do well for internal injuries like concussions." **

"I _told _you." Weiss chided, smug with the unexpected support.

"**Shut up. No one likes a know-it-all." **And as the heiress turned a shade of purple to match Yang's old bruises, Jin finally turned back to team CRDL. **"And you… learn a little patience. You'll **_**live **_**longer." **

"Whatever," Right away losing the staring match, Cardin averted his eyes from the strange 'uncle' but called out, "You ain't getting younger just standing there. I'd figure it'd be past your bedtime by now, old man."

"**Ah, but there's always plenty of time to sleep… **_**when you're dead."**_

Muttering mostly to himself, Jin didn't need the threat to spook the huntsman who was already about to wet himself. Thus, unintentionally overhearing the whisper, Blake wondered who it was for.

"**Still don't trust me, do you?" **

Trusting that he was talking to her now, Blake had faith that the man would always work in his self-interests. She had no problem believing he would wipe the floor with team CRDL. She'd even be willing to turn her back and bet he wouldn't cut her down where she stood.

Beyond that…

"Four against one," Skirting the question, she sauntered back towards where her team had taken seats for what was sure to be a most enjoyable spectacle. "Rather stilted odds, don't you think?"

Not saying for whom, Jin's laugh rumbled in her chest. But beyond that, Bake didn't hear a response as she hid herself away in the dark.

"So… are we doing this?" On the opposite side of the stage, Sky Lark asked everyone around him, including the audience. Secretly, he was hoping someone would say no.

"Fuckin' finally…" Cardin pounded his mace against the ground alongside the alarm which was everyone's last warning. Anybody who was not fighting needed to get the hell out.

"**Someone's eager." **

"You bet your ass I am."

"**That **_**is**_** the idea of a wager…" **

Instead of staring him down, Jin rolled his eyes. While the blonde's banter had invoked a modicum of emotion in him, all the male student's talk succeeded in doing was _pissing him off_.

He didn't know why that should be. It certainly wasn't because of her humanly good looks- which he did his best to preserve. Saiken or no, it was a shame to waste such a pretty face.

But that was something else: The Six-Tails had taken a liking to the two teams. Now, Jin was certainly not obligated to indulge his tenants' desires. Nor did he particularly like the idea of getting closer to the bunch of teens- except to break them down bit by bit.

But the problem was, he didn't know if that's what _He _really wanted. Were these preferences really his own- or was his hatred for Naruto spilling over to all blondes? Maybe this malice was Madara's, his legendary antisocialism lingering beyond the grave?

In the end, who really cared? Jin just wanted to have fun!

"**So, let me ask then… do you feel lucky, Punk?" **


	10. Life Burns

**Once again, this was later than intended but... meh. What I'm much more annoyed at myself for doing is neglecting to address all of your awesome reviews like I should (and desperately want to). I've been busy, but that's really no excuse. I will do my best to get back to y'all this afternoon (or evening, or morning, I guess, depending on where you are). **

**...But now, I'm off to play with bladed weapons. Hopefully you can live with that excuse. **

**En Garde!**

* * *

They might not have broken the moon, but… Humanity had killed the stars.

It had all happened so quickly. They had gone from apes afraid of their own shadows to light-wielding warriors practically… overnight. And they made these nights more fleeting with fires, civilizations lit by candles to chafe at the darkness. Oil only lasted a few years before the discovery of Dust, whose power then produced a never-ending day.

And now, electric streetlights drowned out the night sky while everyday folk relied on headlights of cars to guide them home. Always facing forward, they never again looked back on those dark times.

Nor up.

Whenever he looked up to the horizon these days, he was greeted with the artificial constellations of the City. His home, his kingdom in the woods was invaded by the light from a million windows with million faces behind each one. Vale's buildings were thorns tearing at the blanket of nighttime, allowing the coldness of space to spill in.

This day was different, as he looked to space from within the urban jungle. Yet, not even his infamous eyes could see into the starry expanse. They were clouded with that same milky haze which seemed to come with senescence.

But his history came in clearly, as it always did. Fragments of the moon hung there like falling petals, or forgotten notes pinned in place by time. Little reminders about all the things he still should do.

"**Screw it," **Not so nostalgic about the past, he looked down at the gritty present which was just as good. And now, just as bloody. **"No sense getting lost in reminiscence… it's what got us in this mess to begin with, right?" **

A single moment of inattention, it all happened so quickly.

Those eyes could see through just about anything. But they were also easily blinded by stray thoughts, a flashback or sudden illumination. It'd been his fault, he'd been distracted.

Although, they shouldn't have looked up.

Ironically, it had also been their good eyes which got them killed. Faunus didn't need flashlights to see in the dark, and so he hadn't seen the patrol until it was too late.

He hardly even noticed when he slew them. Stumbling upon him in his moment of stupor, the three White Fang guards had become unintentional victims of his reflexes. It just went to show, you could train an animal to do all number of tricks, emulate any human behavior or emotion. But put them in a tight spot and then-

"Y-y-you can talk?"

Surprised once again, he looked over at the pair of stacked bodies. The lone female Faunus stared back at him, seemingly more aghast with this realization than the corpse of her comrade spilling his entrails over her.

"**I could ask the same. You were supposed to be dead." **Again, sloppy. Somehow, he'd missed her when his tail eviscerated her ally. The other White Fang officer probably threw himself in front of the blow and then hidden her in the chaos which lasted only a split-second. **"Oh well. That can be rectified." **

"W-wait!" Struggling now to lift the dead weight off herself, the Faunus noticed she was wounded. She'd not gotten away scot-free from the initial assault. And now with a gaping hole in her hip, there was no way she could get away from the monster stalking towards her. "P-please, no! I don't want to die!"

"**No one ever does." **Pawing the dead man off her and to the side, with the same weapon he reached down to gently inspect her gaping wound. **"For what it's worth… this wasn't your fault." **

"Please…" The wretched creature whimpered, eyes flitting about behind her regulation mask for any way out.

On one side was her commander, a veteran of the Civil Rights' struggle for years before she'd joined the Cause. He'd no doubt seen his share of violence and lost friends in grisly scenes such as this. A notoriously stoic person, he'd finally lost his head and become just another statistic in their fight.

Her best friend and partner now lay just out of arm's reach on the other side, disemboweled and discarded. Although without him, she felt like the one with everything spilling out, tears sneaking from under her mask and running down her blood-splattered cheeks. For all the good he had done as a meat shield, she still wanted his body's fading warmth between her and the Grimm who was reaching down at her.

"No-Don't!"

"**This does not suit you." **Plucking the mask from her face, he contemplated the kitsch object as a reflection of his own hollowness. Then he carelessly tossed it further down the alley. **"It doesn't suit you one bit… you never should have been here, girl." **

She was only just a girl, not much older than the ones he'd left behind at Beacon. In fact, with her tawny complexion and Faunus traits, she reminded him of that one second-year student. The only real difference was that this one's rabbit ears drooped like she'd been talked down to all her life, and one even had a bite taken out of it where there'd been no Aura to help.

"T-then l-let me go, please!" Very much frightened, she still clung to her reason with the same strength he used to pin her down with his tails. "I'll do anything! I-I'll quit the White Fang! I didn't really want to join in the first place, but my friends-" -her one and only friend gone- "I don't want to be here!"

"**I have no doubt." **Likewise, he trusted her not to reach for the weapon lying just beyond sight. She was too smart, too innocent. **"But the problem is that you've seen me." **

"I'll forget you were here, I swear!" Wanting so badly to just forget the whole thing, wake up and find it was all a dream.

"**It's possible… but then there's the matter of your friends. And this-" **Her wound was deep, dark red like the eyes that wandered over it. **"-that can't be explained away. And if we were to erase what happened this evening, you'd still be with the White Fang, wouldn't you? You'd forget the pain, but also, the lesson."**

"No…" She denied weakly, getting weaker as she rapidly bled out. "No, you don't have to…"

His hand halted on its upward journey from her hip to her head, claws continuing to hover over her like his tongue on an idea. She was right.

He didn't _have _to. It wasn't his desire to take away anything that rightfully belonged to others, especially that ephemeral and entertaining thing called life. He could just let it play out as he had many times before, sit back and watch the chaos ensue from this slipup. It wasn't _her _fault, after all.

It was his, his negligence which got them into this mess. Knowing that, could he keep being so casual about his actions?

"**Shh… don't worry." **Calmly his hand came to rest on her head, claws caressing the hair between her wilted ears as she mewled in fear that begged to be comforted. **"I'll fix this." **

The rabbit Faunus opened her mouth to say something, pleading or thankful. But the only thing to come out were black flames like rabid froth. They cascaded off her bottom lip and spilled onto her chest, consuming everything.

They ate away at her generic White Fang uniform, making it vanish along with all traces of her injury. The last thing to go was her confused expression as the flames devoured her from the inside out. Nerve endings being the first to go, she hadn't felt a thing.

Then Jin piled on the others, the insatiable inferno burning darkly and swallowing the bodies like the alley's shadows swallowed the city's lights. In a few minutes it would all be totally invisible. There would be nothing left but the bloodstains which would bake to rust and peel off the warehouse walls in the first stiff breeze.

For now, he had to watch as Amaterasu devoured the three Faunus like a starved dog who would get into trouble if left alone. It wasn't a technique he liked using often. They were a devilish thing, hellfire created by gods and stolen by man- one man, the Uchiha. As much as he hated that arrogant clan, it was important to remember that he would burn along with them.

But it was his mistake, and unlike them, he would take responsibility. He would watch until the end, and then-

Tears of blood fell from his eyes, sizzled and disappeared like he did moments later. Night swallowed him, no sign he'd ever been there at all.

* * *

When he awoke, it was as if from a dream.

It had been a slumber which spanned the universe. He first laid his head on the pillowy clouds of Jupiter and sometime later stretched his feet past Pluto. The sun served up a warm summer's day which lasted millennia, and a blanket of stars tucked him in for an eternal night.

But then he came to in a body, into another dream which was rigid and confined. It might have taken seconds or centuries- long or short were as arbitrary as the pronoun 'he'. Yet, both concepts felt familiar, if not to say right. No, there was something definitely wrong with this scene, something askew with this form which had been assigned to him.

His body felt incorrect, incomplete, numb… it _felt _physical things, instead of just emotions. Although, there were those, too. And they were simultaneously shallow but harsher than before. All sensations were jumbled in his mind. He was _confused- _not pleasantly puzzled. _Anxious_ instead of excited, worried about a future which had once seemed so distant and trivial.

Where he was didn't matter at the moment (and 'the moment' was within a concept called time which he was still struggling to fathom). Who, what, when, where- were superfluous. Therefore, the first thing he asked when he regained control over his body was:

"**Why are we here?" **

"**Hmm… that's a good question." **The answer came from one of the other beings already here- wherever this was. **"It's one of life's great mysteries isn't it? Why are we here? Are we the product of some cosmic coincidence, or is there really an almighty God watching everything play out according to their plan? I don't know, my brother, but this is one question among many which keeps me up at night."**

"…**You know, I think he was just asking why we're not space-dust." **The color Blue drawled, shifting over slowly and revealing itself to be another occupant of this strange world. **"You philosophize way too much, Kokouo." **

"**Well, it's not like there is much else to do in here." **Ivory-hued 'Kokouo' sighed, breathed heavily when he honestly didn't need to. There was no oxygen here- yet there were ratty-looking shrubberies on the ground and the rock walls on all sides were weathered by something other than the eternal season. Was this not space? Emptiness? Nothing here was real. **"…Which means there's plenty of time to get used to things. Take it slow. How are you feeling, Son?" **

"**Son?" **'He' asked again- only the second thing he could remember saying in his existence. Yet he knew how, knew words beyond what his mind currently held. **"Are you… father?"**

"**No. Father is… not here." **Regret, remorse- The Son knew these feelings. They had been able to wrench and tear at even his ethereal form.

"**We are all his children, though. All connected. I am Isobu, and you are Son Goku, the Yonbi- the Four Tails." **Speaking up at last, the one with three of those wiggly 'tails' supplied in a gruff but appeasing voice. It was a curious creature, huge armored shell taking the place of topography this vacant valley seemed to lack.

"**Stubborn Son, the Ape King of the Mountain, Kurama's Personal Pain-in-the-Ass…" **The two-tailed blue thing rolled off more titles which he apparently owned. Then it rolled back over, disinterested with both him and his litany of names. **"...Among others. Anything ring a bell yet?"**

"**Give him a chance, Matatabi." **Kokouo spoke calmly, a temperament somehow different from this 'Matatabi's' sleepy slurs. **"Son only just showed up, and he's already talking, that's much better progress than any of us. Just give him some time." **

"_**You're **_**the one who said we're running out of time, Fish-Face." **Matatabi growled in that slightly high-pitched voice which said it was a 'she', according to Son's recollection. Then 'she' fleered her two tails, fur bristling in a wave along her back that reminded Son of the wind-blown grass out in the real world.

"**Oh, so now you're paying attention to what I've been saying?" **Patience broke in that timeless space, possibly precipitated by Son's arrival since that was the only new thing in what might have been an eternity. **"Maybe you'd care to recall that a dolphin is not a fish! It's a mammal, and moreover-"**

"**-There you go getting all pedantic again!" **Throwing off the disguise of drowsiness, Matatabi leapt to her padded feet with nary a sound in that mute space but her crackling growl. **"What does any of it matter if we're stuck in here?! Your vaunted 'voice of reason' means nothing in this absurd place!" **

"**Please, you two, stop fighting." **Biting down on Matatabi's tails and keeping her from charging the horse-dolphin, the Three-Tails invited a paw to slap against his hard shell. Even with mouth full of fur, Son could taste the exasperation on Isobu's breath. **"Shaiken, cwould woo gib me a hawnd hewa?" **

"**Saiken is coming…" **Son noticed a fleshy lump lift out of the dirt and drag itself over to the impending confrontation. With a strange normalcy, the sluggish beast spat out a gel which quickly coagulated under Kokuou's hooves, keeping him in place but not forestalling the fight.

Saiken, Kokouo, Matatabi, Isobu, Son Goku… putting aside the first four and their conflict, the latter looked upon the contention within himself. Unable to make any more sense of it than before, he looked up. Past the performance, he looked at the stage they had been set in.

He saw a high-walled valley, sheer cliff-faces ringing around them in a figure eight with bulges at either end. Flora was scarce and relegated to hardy scrub-brush and the occasional tree tenaciously sticking out of invisible cracks in the rock. Fauna was the five of them, unique creatures in this place that was at once unparalleled and uninspiring. Even Space with its vast nothingness held more possibility than this bloody gulch.

Space… he looked further up. Past where the crew-cut mountains ended and into the open air- but the air wasn't open, it was filled with streaks of light writhing and lilting through the black backdrop. Frenzied energies clashed in front of an empty cosmos- this was no illusion nor Aurora, no such equals existed on the planet or in the galaxy he once called home. There were no stars to see in between the gamboling ghosts- they had killed them all in their epic conflict.

"**Stop this foolishness!" **Son declared, gratified to find in his hazy state that the four still listened to him. **"Brothers… sister, would someone… any one of you explain what is going on?" **

After being fixated on him, their attention wavered between themselves before Matatabi gave a deferential nod toward Kokuou. The horse-dolphin gave a neigh like a sigh as this task was obviously unenviable.

"**Unfortunately, it will be hard not knowing how much you remember-"**

"**Enough," **Their quarrelling gave new urgency to his internal quandary, and Son's memories were coming back rapid-fire. It was a painful experience- but pain, as Son now knew, was normal. **"I remember enough. Start with what happened after we… died." **

"**Well…"** After only a brief pause, Kokouo admitted his ignorance. **"We all knew that death was perhaps too much to hope for, and it was inevitable we would revive somewhere, sometime. Sadly, we all awoke in the same state as you, and there are some blanks I have yet to fill in. But as near as I can tell, we succeeded with Naruto's plan- However…** **something went wrong." **

Rather than roll his eyes at the obvious, like Matatabi chose to do, Son Goku nodded for the Five-Tails to continue. Meanwhile, Saiken and Isobu listened listlessly to the story they'd likely heard before but were unable to do anything else but hear it again.

"**The moon, and presumably, the Juubi's body were broken with the Tailed Beast Bomb- along with all of us, our very essences shattered into their constituent pieces and scattered throughout space. Bodies separated from mind and spirit. Our Chakra eventually returned to Earth, as we thought it might. It apparently took a very long time, though. And many things changed before the first one of us… awoke.**

"**Our bodies reformed first. But somehow the Chakra became tainted, twisting life itself. And without our wills to bridle them, our bodies- **_**we**_** became true monsters; the kind humans have always decried us to be. They call us… Grimm. There were the nine of us Tailed Beasts, but then plenty of lesser 'Grimm' that I suspect are part of the fallout from the Ten-Tails. They continue to menace what has become of humanity- which has also changed significantly, lost certain things, gained others…**

"**But, while our bodies rampaged on the Remnant of Earth, our souls and our memories… they stayed together and found a home, a host. Somehow, Naruto survived in the same quasi-manner we have. Unfortunately, so did the **_**other **_**one. **

"**You mean… Madara?!" **

Just as Son spoke his name with revile, a violet, violent streak dusted the five from above. It crackled and cackled with electricity that left a burnt smell instead of ozone, a promise to raze what little green there was left.

"**None other." **Kokouo snarled, evidently used to this behavior since he did not try to snipe at the low-flying target. More and more their desolate valley was feeling like a pit in the bottom of his stomach, and Son sought out anything to provide hope. Where was that boy who promised them things would get better? **"**_**And**_** Naruto. He is **_**still**_** up there- Father knows for how long- still fighting against that man and trying to prevent us from whatever machinations he has planned. Our siblings assist where they can, but…"**

"**So, all those colors…" **

"…**Are our brothers and sister, correct." **Kokouo confirmed, craning his equine neck to the sky. Just as it seemed the sun would never rise again in that forsaken place, a golden comet shot up from the horizon. Purple and yellow collided, producing a thunderous explosion that was felt rather than heard, like the birth and death of a nebula in a few seconds. **"We were once up there, too, as souls battling for dominance. And the emptiness in between… is our Jinchῡriki." **

"**He calls himself 'Jin'," **Speaking up just to scoff, Matatabi went back to looking uninterested with the tale but was betrayed by her ears which kept twitching in their direction. **"How unoriginal can you get?" **

"**Yes… 'Jin' insists on being an individual, distinct from the personalities which are part of him. Ironically, he seems to hold a particular disdain for Naruto. But luckily, no love for Madara, either. And from what he has professed, his only purpose is to reunite us with our Chakra." **Shaking his head, Kokouo clearly had reservations about believing this. **"I suspect that he is as conflicted as the eternal fight is above us. He does not know what he really wants, being torn between their two strong wills. Again, our siblings help where they can, but their intervention also confuses the personality of 'Jin'. **

"**Thus, what drives him are primarily '**_**animal'**_** instincts: procreating and… consuming our Chakra bodies. Acquiring our Chakra makes him more powerful, but it also reunites our souls and bodies, making us more or less whole again."**

"**Of course, we are still trapped in our 'Jinchῡriki." **Mocking what seemed to be Kokouo's optimism, Matatabi did relent,** "But I suppose it's better to be awake- or at least, ourselves."**

Not pointing out the irony in her statement, Kokouo nodded. **"Although, the more of us are 'down' here, the fewer of us remain to bolster Naruto. And I fear for his sanity after battling the crazed Uchiha for this long."**

"**Can we not help him from our current state?"** Son gave another glance to the sky above, his hard gaze trying to separate the unintelligible tangle of spirits.

"**Do you not think we have tried?" **Growling, Matatabi craned her head to glare, first at Son but then at the same conflict which was rapidly becoming a background phenomenon. **"But this is our seal. And though there are no bars, good luck getting out of this gulch." **

"**The rules are different here." **Kokouo resumed his role as guide to this strange land. **"Though it may not seem it, we cannot jump as high as we used to. All our powers are lessened- being **_**borrowed**_** by Jin, I imagine." **

"**Beyond that, this place is entirely artificial." **Isobu griped, stomping on a shrub only to have it stop him as solidly as a rock. **"It's like being in a fish tank with all those little plastic fakes. The ceiling is invisible, but it still holds us trapped. I suspect even if we managed to get past it, something horrible will happen."**

"**So, we must sit here and watch?!" **Shortly after reacquiring a body, Son remembered how much he hated inaction.

"**You could pontificate like the professor here." **Matatatabi took another half-hearted jab at Kokouo who swatted it away like a horse shooing a fly. And in this spirit, Son tried not to let his own anger rile him up. But pacing furiously on all fours, he still managed to make his brothers back away from him.

"**I am not sure if I will be able to keep as calm as you four must have. Already I am getting antsy to do something, to see what has become of the world in our absence. Tell me- Do any of you remember what it was like when we- our bodies or whatever, were outside? What else has changed with humanity? Which of us are here now? -And please tell me we at least put up a fight."**

"**From what I heard, you gave Jin quite the run for his money. -Better than Saiken, at least." **Emerging from his shell with this fact, Isobu smirked wryly at the slug. **"Apparently, he just about laid down on a plate!" **

"**Saiken just wanted to help…" **Dejected, the slug shrank in on himself.

"**We know, Saiken." **Laying one of his five tails on the creature who was secreting fat globs of what could have been tears, Kokouo reminded his brother that he was more than welcome to help unstick him. **"It's not like I did much either… or **_**can **_**do much, still, besides talk. And who knows? Maybe it did help. The more of us that are reunited with 'ourselves', the more Jin seems to be acquiring a stable personality." **

"**Yeah, and the more **_**unstable**_** this world seems to be." **Rather than sounding pleased, Matatabi glanced around suspiciously at the walls as if they would collapse at any point. Son hadn't been there long enough to notice, but he was beginning to pick up on the 'difference'. Rather than physical damage, physics itself seemed… glitchy. There was a quantifiable delay, and objects appeared low-resolution. **"No seal is meant to hold the nine of us, and I suspect that at some point this whole thing will go kablooey- well, that is if Jin doesn't go off the deep end first." **

"**That… is unfortunately a concern." **Kokouo admitted. **"We really have no idea what is happening or why, and all I have told you is just speculation on what I have observed thus far. But if I am correct, your arrival, Son, has put us over the halfway point." **

"**There are five of us in here, and four still outside." **Isobu surmised, starting to connect the dots himself. **"Meaning that, if anything'll happen, it'll start to become evident soon."**

"**At least it'll mean no more waiting." **Matatabi said, even as she rolled over for another nap. **"Let me know if the ground starts to open up or the sky comes falling down, okay?" **

"**Of course, what would we ever do if you were to be smooshed by Shukaku's butt falling from space?" **Kokouo spoke without malice, rather an endearing sarcasm that Son was only now remembering from their previous interactions together.

There had only been a handful of those, long ago before their first Jinchῡriki and eons before this latest one. If he were the hopeful type, Son might have thought this could be the start of new era of brotherhood, of family.

But it just as easily could have been the realization that this was the end. Suddenly and without warning, he had woken up to find the alarm clock counting down. It might have been a relief to his siblings who had been waiting in this purgatory without knowing whether anything was ever going to happen.

-Yet, it was _**going **_to happen- whatever it was- and there was nothing they could do about it.

"**-Is there really nothing?" **While looking to the sky, Son implored his siblings both conscious and cavorting in that black ether. **"Can we not get a message out, or at least up to this 'Jin'?"**

"**I have tried once before and failed to convince him. All subsequent attempts have been met with… resistance." **

"**So, you have given up?" **With his memories still returning, Son didn't feel entirely right making such an accusation. But overpowering it, he felt that action was something he would do. **"-You think it's something That Boy would do? Would Naruto give up on us? **_**Is he?**__"_

"**No, of course not." **

"**-Then what should we do?!"**

There was a long silence in which Matatabi might have really fallen asleep- though Son didn't know how with the total foreignness of this place. There were no crickets chirping, no wind blowing. Even the lightning storm overhead felt like it was happening through a television screen, grainy and low-fi, light lagging down to them. Just like a response from his brethren.

All looked expectantly at one another, even the cat cracked an eye which glowed with the flashes of light from above. They were finally coming together but…

From above or below, they received no answer.

* * *

"You've been awfully quiet lately."

Neo rolled her eyes.

If it had been anyone else making such a stupid statement, it would be _their _eyes rolling- along with their heads on the floor of that dingy warehouse.

But this was Roman, and she could excuse his eccentricity for several reasons. Reasons upon which her lips were sealed.

"Not getting sick, are you? Didn't miss out on your 'medicinal' ice-cream this week?" Sniffing silently, she gave Roman and his fake, fatherly fussing the cold shoulder. Not enough to drive him away, of course. That would ruin the fun. "I know it has been a while since we've just had a nice day off. But work has kept me so terribly busy lately."

Neo scuffed her exaggerated heel on the barren floor. Reluctantly, she had to agree that their newest employers kept her 'boss' on a stringent schedule. While she, on the other hand, was forced impatiently to wait her turn.

"Trust me, I'd feel better if you were with me all the time too, Doll."

Like a doll, he talked to her knowing she wouldn't answer with words. His pickpocket's hands played with the fringes of her Neapolitan dress where the seams met porcelain skin. Patent leather gloves rested parentally atop her head as if she were a real girl (and not a deadly woman). Neo would be lying if she said she didn't lean into the touch.

Luckily, she didn't say a word.

"But, it's better this way." Hands and mind straying away from that fantasy, they reached into his jacket and pulled out one of the skinny cigars he was famous for. Roughly chomping the end off, he spat the gnarled nub into the darkness before lighting the other side and partaking of the pungent smoke. "Better to have my mug plastered all over the town than your pretty little picture."

Pursing her lips, Neo pouted through the puffy clouds which made her look even more angelic and innocent to his already skewed perception.

"Come now, don't look at me like that." He sniffed at her demure expression which wordlessly demanded an answer. "I'm a jealous person. But it's not the spotlight I crave. It's you that I don't want to share with anybody. You're much too fine a thing for this foul world we live in, Doll."

Such a silly, selfish comment, that she couldn't help but beam in appreciation of it. Even if it was a lie- maybe _because _it was a lie, and much too sweet to be true.

Neo liked sweet things.

"-It's one reason why I wish I hadn't gotten involved in this."

-But the only thing sweet about this confession was the cigar smoke which mingled with it. Sometimes Roman talked too much, even for her half of the conversation. Reminded of their predicament and the foul mood that went along with it, she scowled.

"What'd ya want me to say, Doll? All this," Waving his hand around, Roman gestured to the boxes of Dust stacked to the ceiling and stirred the cumulous wisps of smoke. The crates which surrounded them were more like a prison than a castle. "It isn't for me. I signed up for this gig because I had to- for us! So that we could survive."

Though this was certainly true in his mind, Neo couldn't help but scoff. It was an ineffectual sound, one that failed to move even the loitering tobacco smoke. But to Roman, it might as well have been a slap.

"…You think I don't know I'm a coward?" His cigar burnt by itself for a long time, accordion of ash drooping in a somber note. "I know what I am. Maybe it's nothing to take pride in, but it's more than can be said about a lot of people. Moreover, I know what I want out of life and what it takes to get it. First things first, you've gotta survive, whatever the cost."

Indulgence long since turning to sin, Roman threw the disgusting habit of his on the ground and stomped it out. Then he joined both as he took a knee and looked straight into Neo's bewildered white eyes.

"Remember that. You've gotta survive, Neo." One of Roman's wandering hands found its way to her perfectly smooth cheek which was gaining a dusting of pink. _Everything_ was perfect and rose-colored in her eyes at that point in time. She placed her petite hand atop his own and smiled knowingly. "I won't blame you. If you see a chance to walk away and live, take it."

"My, such a serious speech from my little jester. Should I be worried about you _cheating_ on me, Roman?"

"Cinder," With a smile as faux-friendly as the greeting had been, Roman stood up and turned around to face the new woman. "Rest assured I'd never do anything to jeopardize our _relationship_. I am very much attached to my corpse, thank you. Although, might a dead man be so bold as to point out you're more than a little fashionably late to our date?"

"Such coldness… is this the way you treat such lovely company as me?" His mysterious employer strode into the light without revealing anything more than she already had. "Did you perhaps recently get _burned _by someone?"

"I guess the _spark_ just isn't there anymore." Feeding her the perfect one-liner like expensive hors d'oeuvres, Roman wasn't exactly anxious to get to the main course with this maneater. However… "However, I am still very much interested to know why you wanted to see me."

"And you brought your little bodyguard because you were nervous?" Cinder looked down on the smaller woman whose brown eyes blazed like fire opals as she stared defiantly back. "Although, from what I just saw, she has nothing to worry about."

"Neo can hold her own, certainly." Taking a step towards the woman, Roman tried to show how his patience was being pushed. "And push comes to shove, so can I. Now, what is it? This little scheme of yours has taken years off my life already, and I'd rather not waste what's remaining on this little foreplay."

Smirking at Roman as he stood steadfast behind his cane, she watched him enough to see a single sweat drop roll off his brow. With what she wanted to ask, Cinder figured she'd made him wait long enough.

"That's really too bad. But luckily, it's my Lady you have to please, not me." Imminently pleased with herself already, she sauntered towards the small-time crook and stopped in front of him with one hand placed on her hourglass hips. "Lucky for you, She was actually rather gratified by your last accomplishment. The passcodes that we were able to lift from that girl's scroll weren't nearly so important as establishing a rapport with this 'Jin'."

"I'm honored." Roman sketched a caricature of a bow, eyes trailing the violin-like curvature of her body. It might have been a pleasing sight, but it was her words which held his concern. Her tone threatening to play him.

"Then perhaps you wouldn't mind meeting with him again."

The redhead's spine went rigid as he shot up like a prairie dog. Without benefit of a hole in which to crawl in, he glanced instinctively towards his bodyguard. The same, troubled expression was there looking back at him, and so Roman returned to Cinder.

"In all honesty-ahem- I think I'd prefer to pass."

"That's too bad, especially because my Lady considers him to be _invaluable_ to us." She said, silent emphasis on the fact that the Grimm was many times more important than Roman himself. "We would, of course, be willing to compensate you… proportionately for your help."

"As… lucrative as that sounds, I think you might have a better shot at talking to him yourself, my dear." Whereas the woman's red dress hugged her perfectly, Roman's crimson necktie now felt like it was choking him. While one hand trying to loosen it, the other fingered his cane. Though more as a totem than for the hidden weapon. "He seems the type to be, ah, _appreciative _of your admittedly _lovely _company."

"This task was assigned to you especially by my Lady," Cinder did not sound envious of this fact and glowered at the implied disobedience. "It would be unwise to refuse."

"Wisdom comes from experience." Experiencing the telltale signs of Cinder's ire, Roman felt the sweat start to drip from under the band of his bowler. "And let me tell you, that Grimm fellow is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, if you get my drift. As in, the next time around might be the death of me. He was hospitable enough when I went to return the Scroll after stripping it of its data, but I didn't exactly earn myself a re-invite. I guess he didn't appreciate my humor."

"And you think _I _might be more personable?" Her responses were beginning to take on a dark humor, amber eyes flickering dangerously at him. "You might be on to something… I don't find you very funny, either."

"Don't downplay your other-ah- _assets _my dear Cinder." The woman folded her arms, denying said features instead of emphasizing them. And reminding Roman that she didn't need to lay a finger on him to end his life. "Although, I dare say you two would get along perfectly…"

"Surely, I misunderstand you," Not mistaking what she would do if this were the case, "You don't suggest I _whore _myself out to so vile a creature?"

"Not to put words in my mouth- I am suggesting you do whatever you need to, if your _lady's _wishes are so important." Throwing his arms up in surrender, the guileless criminal continued to talk until he drew his last breath. If the creeping heat under his collar were any indication, this could be soon. "-Do what you will, but I am not about to go back there. It's as much a death sentence for me as going to the cops."

"_Funny _you should say," Cinder seethed, drawing a breath that was meant to be calming but seemed to ignite the stagnant air in that warehouse. "Disobeying my Lady has far worse consequences."

"I'm sure I believe you." Burning up from inside out, sweating so much his suit would never be white again, Roman still did not waver as he faced down this woman who was as undeniable as a force of nature. "But the problem is, I believe in _him_ more. It's like they say: The Devil you know…"

Roman did not rightfully know if he'd last the night. Any second now his insubordination might get him incinerated. But given he wasn't yet ash on the floor, his gamble against his fellow human might just have paid off.

With the Grimm-Man though, these things were never certain. The future within his eyes was constantly in flux, and one could be dead without even realizing it.

"…Fine." Staring him dead in the eye, Cinder realized she wasn't going to change his mind. Needing him alive though, she allowed the embers in the air to disperse. "Given my Lady's insistence, perhaps I _should _meet with him. And to have you so afraid that you'd dare argue with me, he must be an… interesting individual."

"**Lady, you don't know the half of it." **

This was what Roman wanted to say. Only just relaxing, he wanted to look back and be reassured that Neo was still there. But sarcasm was stuck in his throat and now, something else was also behind him. _Someone _who had hijacked the phrase from his parched lips along with the warmth from the room. Their words hung with icicles like fangs, nipping at the heels of the heat which was now rapidly fleeing. Oh, Roman knew _exactly _who this was.

Cinder did not. Not even knowing where it was coming from at first, the sounds seemed to sprout from the back of her own brain. But this was not the voice of the ghost she had grown accustomed to. The broken Fall Maiden was still in her head, her plaintiff moans echoing behind mental bars.

No, whomever this was didn't come from the dark recesses of her mind. Rather, they stepped from Roman's shadow as if they were a manifestation of his own deepest fears.

And _He_ was a fearsome thing indeed. While this could be said of any Grimm, before her was something infinitely more. It wasn't just the extra tails which added to his animality. Within his step was something that inspired absolute terror: an intelligence. A humanity.

Though she knew him not by sight, she knew the sight he laid upon her. Those eyes… they were the same…

"**So," **Stepping over Roman as if he were a doorstop, his attention was fixated on the femme fatale at the other end of the room- no, not on her, _through_ her. **"We finally meet the woman behind the man, huh?" **

With those eyes, Cinder knew he hadn't needed to glance at her to glean the truth. One look at her poker face and he could see all the cards, the players and the game itself. He could see Salem's pale shadow, standing over her shoulder. Not even Cinder's sordid past was sacred. And he found her future too, divined in the lines of her palm as he held it up to his vulpine face.

"So…"

She tried to hold herself together as she felt his petroleum lips kiss upon her hand, saliva like acid sieving through her glove. Repressing a shiver, the hot-blooded woman felt _cold._

Perhaps Roman was right. There was a first- and last- time for everything.

"…You must be Jin."

"**Am I?" **Cinder didn't know whether to be assured or alarmed by the familiarity of his gaze. But the grin summoned up from his muzzle was undoubtably malicious. **"You know my name, but are you ready to meet the man behind the monster?" **

Rows of glittering teeth mimicked a cocky smile, one that was not so different from Roman's. But it was not nearly so beguiling, nor did it fool Cinder into believing that before her was anything other than a ferocious beast.

"Please. I am Cinder Fall. And you will not find me as squeamish as some of these silly little girls you've been hanging around with lately." Through her own teeth Cinder lied. "Your appearance isn't nearly so shocking as it was a surprise. That's quite a trick you have there."

"**No trick, I assure you. Simply years of practice going unnoticed." **With practiced ease, he held her captive with claws like a snare. Though gentle, she couldn't retreat without them digging into her flesh. So, he attacked, leaned in to whisper in her ear with sultry, sulfurous breath. **"And since I'm being honest… I'd appreciate you doing the same **_**and not lying to me.**_**"**

Setting the conditions of their conversation, he then set Cinder free. She leapt back as if scalded by his touch, and steam rose from her skin-tight glove as she burned away his essence from her body.

"**I would have thought Torchwick warned you about how I **_**hate**_** suck-ups,"** He declared,relishing her honest, disgusted reaction.

"I'm afraid we didn't get much past the part where you couldn't stand me, personally." Muttering mostly to himself, the criminal didn't really mean to contribute to the conversation. He was just picking himself up and dusting himself off, intending to disappear when he heard the chuckle call him out.

"**Ah, but you know me so well otherwise, Roman**." The man froze as he felt Jin's stare fall upon him. **"Although, the lady here was right about one thing: you can't really carry a joke." **

"Gee, I'm so glad you find me entertaining." Right eye twitching, Roman was torn between relief and rage at what he assumed was a jibe at his expense.

"**Hey, if you can't laugh at yourself…" **Letting his tails flail gleefully, Jin raised one of his claws in seriousness back at Roman. **"Don't get me wrong though. I still **_**despise **_**you." **

"Noted…" Never happier to have Neo by his side, Roman backtracked until she was between him and the Grimm.

"**Hey there, Doll." **Neo curtsied for him dutifully while not disguising her revile. But this only seemed to entice the Grimm more, turning his attention away from Cinder and to the paling girl. **"Aw, are you really going to give me the silent treatment?" **

"Why are you here?" No longer minding the how. While it was unwise to turn her back on an unknown such as him, even more, Cinder _did not _like having a back turned towards her.

But as the Grimm stood there not saying a word, she was forced to consider whether she _wanted _his attention. Even through the back of his boney skull she could feel those eyes boring into her.

"**Maa… Old Ozzy thought it would be a good idea for me to get out of the house more. You know, play with kids my own age, possibly make some friends." **Facing away from her, his mouth spouted words that could be friendly enough. His tails though, told the truth and tittered behind his back. Between was an inside joke, one which bled out wherever this walking contradiction roamed. **"Ano… you **_**do **_**want to be my friend, don't you?" **

It was her mandate to get close to the Grimm, an order passed down from the one whose wishes she put above all others, including her own. However, Cinder could not say that she dared to be… _friends _with this fiendish being. She certainly didn't want to be his enemy, though.

"Yes."

"**-Too bad." **

Roman would have laughed at the expression on his employer's face if he wasn't equally terrified. Eventually though, his lips twitched into a manic smirk. Himself having nothing to lose, he would take Cinder's dumbfounded expression down to hell with him where he could lord it over her in leu of a halo.

"**I'm here simply to deliver you all a warning." **Calmly, Jin craned his neck back to consider the woman who was going through her own personal crisis. **"I suppose I owe you for telling me where the One-Tail is lurking. As such, we don't have to be enemies. I'll even admit, it's been mildly amusing playing along with your little plot. **

"**But now it seems that I have… inherited Beacon as part of my territory. The grounds along with whomever is on them are mine unless I say otherwise. That goes doubly for anyone I've personally laid claim to, **_**especially **_**Oz.**

"**Make no mistake: I don't care what you do with this rat's nest called a city- or the rest of Remnant, for that matter. So long as you leave me to mine, everything else can burn, and I will only be slightly disappointed it wasn't by my hand." **

As she swallowed his declaration, Cinder could feel the lie settle uneasily in her stomach. It wouldn't work. They couldn't coexist under these conditions. Her lady had insisted that at the very least, Jin could not be allowed to impede their mission at Beacon. The best-case scenario was winning his assistance, bringing the Grimm over to their side and eventually to bow in front of Salem herself.

-But she wasn't to force him. In fact, Cinder was incensed because Salem made it seem like she _couldn't _do anything to make this Grimm pay for his gross disrespect. She was only supposed to bargain, _beg,_ seduce if she had to- Roman being right was something she found equally horrifying. Nay, contemptable. The idea this _Grimm _was stronger than her was ludicrous. Even if she was only half a Maiden, she could surely take on this one-

"**-Your thoughts are far too ugly for your pretty face." **Suddenly, Jin was both in her face and her head. And Cinder found she couldn't get away from either as he boxed her in and held on- harder this time, with tails wrapped around her wrists and her chin cupped in his claws. **"How should we fix this, hm? I could easily make the outside match the in." **

Cinder was fixed on barbecuing him. But to her horror, his calcified armor just absorbed her conjured flames while his charcoal flesh remained unaffected, and the keratin of his claws even glowed like metal.

"**Heh, another feisty one." **He mocked, muzzle stretched into a smirk. **"Although you know, as much as you disparage those 'silly little girls', they at least had enough sense to know when they were out of their league." **

It was obvious what he was doing. However, Cinder could not keep her cool- she couldn't even hold onto her heat as the fire in her control turned blue before her very eyes. The turncoat flames seemed to hiss at her before retreating into the shadows of his skin. Stunned by this, she lost all semblance of control and what dignity she had left.

"Wha-Hey! _Give that back_!"

"**Why?" **He guffawed at her girlish petulance. **"Didn't belong to you to begin with, did it? If you're going to bargain with something, make sure it's really yours first!" **

About to respond with one of her obsidian blades right in his eye, Cinder stopped. This was because she could already see herself doing it, her actions playing out in his fragmented gaze. In one section he was lightly wounded but heavily pissed. In another, he had ripped her apart before she could so much as draw. A third possible future had her reconsidering.

And as the wheel continued to turn, she came back to the first time she had met those eyes. It had been a different person looking at her, but the effect was the same.

It wasn't coincidence that they'd met again, for the ones bearing that mystical gaze made their own luck. They'd found her once upon a time, poor in both wealth and resolve. They picked her out, lifted her up and molded her into the image they projected in her head.

Those eyes made her the woman she was today. And so, Cinder began to relax in their assurance of the future.

And incredibly, so did the Grimm. For Roman and Neo cringing painfully in the background, the change was as palpable as a salve. It was a drug for the Grimm who became subdued and let his hands drop to the side. And as the clock's hands ticked by, his muscles like cooking pasta slacked.

"So… you guys ready to kiss and make up?"

Both Grimm-Man and woman were in accord as they glared at Roman. His trousers were only dry by virtue of having no fluids left from before.

"Suppose…" Cinder started, not exactly sure what she had in mind but ready to erase the prior incident. "Suppose we _did _have something else to offer."

"**I'm listening." **And for once, not talking over the peace.

"What would it take to get you to reconsider your allegiance?"

"**I'd first consider **_**your **_**terms before mine, if I were you." **Though this threat was blunted by soft language, it didn't mean there wasn't an edge behind it. **"I hold no 'allegiance' to anyone but myself… and maybe the debts I've incurred. Also, I will 'take' anything and everything you have to say into consideration. So choose your next words wisely."**

Jin advised, reminding her that just because he no longer had his hands around her neck, didn't mean that her life wasn't in his hands.

"Then…" Her options numbered less than fingers on her hand. Thus, Cinder didn't really need to think about anything including her next words. But this might be the one and only time she could hold him in suspense, and she wasn't about to pass up the opportunity.

"…What would you say if I could give you the location of the Seven-Tails?"

Nothing. At first. For a long time. Then-

"**Heh." **It started with a single snort like a skipping pebble. But soon it was a landslide of uproarious laughter which came tumbling down upon their heads along with glass from shattering skylights. **"Heh, heh, heh, hah, hah, ha, ha, hahahahahahahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" **

His hysteria continued to flood the warehouse. How he had snuck in there unnoticed through the guards, they might never know. But both Roman and Cinder were sure the whole of Vale could hear him now, unbidden by shame or even city ordinances. As his cackles shook the crates filled with Dust though, they worried whether it would come to an end short of an explosion.

It did.

"**I would say… you have my attention." **

With knees knocking and the contents of his jacket pocket jingling like bells, Roman struggled to get to his feet even with help from his cane. After all that he was tired, exhausted, thirsty, twitchy, in desperate need of a bath, a stiff drink and something for the migraine which continued to reverberate in his skull.

"In case you were wondering," He was careful to keep his voice down as he whispered this aside to his aide, as much for his headache as his general health. "The time to walk away was about ten minutes ago."

But there was no word from his partner.

Not looking like she'd even heard, Neo still stood faithfully by his side with twiggy legs in a similar state to his own. Flesh was pale with what looked like fear, and she clutched her parasol as if her life depended on it.

However, in contrast to Roman's worried state, Neo wore a manic grin that mimed the Grimm's. The intensity of the fight had also left a residual flush of red on her cheeks. And rather than fright, the trembling in her body was due to unrestrained excitement. She could tell, this was going to be fun.

And Neo liked fun.


	11. Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

**I am so, so sorry it has taken this long to get out. I've started school back up, and that's taken a serious chunk out of my time. I'm going to try and get back to a tighter schedule in the future, but no guarantees. **

**I also don't fully guarantee the quality of this chapter, but I just had to get it out from under my nose before I sneeze and it all blows away. I'm not going to apologize for the expired poetic license in this one, though. Firstly, because I cut it down from what it was. And second, because it's just my style. And at this point, trying to change myself too much is going to put me in a mental institution before we get two weeks into the semester. **

**Let's try to drag it out at least a month, shall we?**

* * *

It had been almost a month since the incident in Glynda's battle-room. Three-and-a-half weeks from when Jin invaded the freshmen's academic lives and made them unwilling accomplices to his public debut. After which, he simply vanished, trotted off into the night with the self-confidence of a dog having marked his territory by pissing on it. Disappearing without a word, he left them only with his open-ended promises which lingered like some foul scent.

Oh, and a seething (not to mention hungover) Glynda Goodwitch.

Once surviving her, they could get back to surviving the rigors of daily life. The hardest part not being the normal school load, not the increased competitiveness in combat class, nor even the extra work they had to do as punishment for punching a hole in the wall.

It was the stillness in between.

No one had seen a trace of the Grimm-Man in all that time. They hadn't tried that hard. But one didn't need to try for them to imagine him menacing over their shoulders, his laugh lauding over their hushed conversations, his eyes peering out at them inside all their private places. He had become a true shadow, living only in the corner of their eyes and between fleeting thoughts.

So, they tried not to think. Every moment that wasn't spent doing what was necessary for school, the two teams occupied with ever-more outlandish endeavors. Between them, weekends could be wasted either quietly in the library or on a siege of Vale's shopping center. An entire day disappeared when Nora had the bright idea to binge-watch a video series (and since they couldn't decide which, they ended up seeing several as a group into the wee hours of the next morning). Some of these activities, obviously, didn't sit well with some of the students. Yet, all found them preferable to idleness.

Because it was during those times that doubt could creep in.

Yet, somehow, it did anyway. Even when every spare hour of the weekdays was spent training or studying or beating a head against a wall, it didn't stop them from thinking about _Him_. Or if not Him, how they were no longer simply students. Not just aspiring huntsmen and huntresses- they felt like actors, bad ones that didn't know a line and couldn't even tell you what play they were in.

Living day to day was nothing but a lie, one that was getting harder and harder to maintain.

"Alright, that's it, I'm done!"

Overdone. Like a strip steak ruthlessly spatulaed from a barbeque, Jaune pried himself away from the heated spar and flopped bonelessly onto the ground under the not-quite noonday sun.

"…Are you alright, Jaune?" Even Ren's ever-cool voice was beginning to melt, his lime-green ensemble practically dripping off slumped shoulders and exposing his popsicle-stick spine against his back.

"I can't feel my blood sugar," Nora declared, having already burned through her hearty breakfast of pancakes and bacon. She now leaned heavily on her utensil of destruction, her pink skirt was ruffled and greasy while her arms were chewed pieces of gristle that barely kept her off someone's plate. "Ren… need emergency… snacks."

"Maybe… we ought to just… take a break." A solid suggestion, barring the fact that Ren himself felt more like liquid. He kept himself together only with the knowledge that it'd be that much harder to drag _both _him and Nora to their dorm. Although, perhaps if they could just slide like oil all the way back…

"No!"

All three had enough energy left to jump like popcorn at this shout. When they came down, their attentions were reaffixed on their fourth teammate and current opponent.

Pyrrha looked like shit. Perhaps not literally, but enough that the others lost their ravenous appetites when viewing at her. There had been nothing 'tender' about the bout with her comrades, as each of them fought tooth and nail to keep up. The results of this roughhousing were numerous and visible. They all had shallow wounds which would ache for the rest of the week with the kind of deep-seated pain that can only be achieved with an especially foolish decision.

In this case, the three of them against Pyrrha might have been a case of equal stupidity on all sides.

"-I-I mean…" Blinking the sunlight and sweat from her eyes, Pyrrha looked around as if unsure of what she had just said or even done. "I ca-can still go another round."

The other three stared back with incredulity. Not that they truly doubted her, simply that the figure in front of them was barely recognizable as 'the Invincible Girl', much less a living person.

Damage was not dealt equally, and the three-v-one fight was more than thrice as hard on Pyrrha as on them. Skipping over all the food analogies, she headed straight for the blender. Cuts ran seamlessly over skin and into her clothes which had little use left except as sweat rags. Only her brand-new, custom made cuirass seemed to be intact- truthfully, the only thing keeping her together at this point. Even though it appeared as if she herself were just about to collapse under its weight.

"Perhaps you can," Ren remarked without a hint of sarcasm. "-But _**we**_'re completely exhausted."

"-Oh." She blinked.

Such a simple revelation, it struck the still-undefeated champion more forcefully than any of the sucker punches in their spar and knocked the wind out of her. She fell to a knee with stars streaming down in front of her eyes as if her fame suddenly went supernova and blew up in her face

Pyrrha never thought of herself as a champion or celebrity- never thought of herself _period_. Yet, not thinking slipped right into not caring. Not about her team, their diversions, or even her own body as she worked herself to the bone trying to improve.

But improve how, and to what end? Her image? When had _that_ become important? When had the woman in her mirror become the cardboard girl on the front of Pumpkin Pete's cereal box? Furthermore, when had she become _Jin, _caring only about her own wellbeing and not her team's?

-So preoccupied with self-scrutiny, Pyrrha almost forgot to utter her distinctive catchphrase-

"I'm sorry." Jaune grimaced with the bitterness of mud in his mouth, wiping it away and glaring at on the ground as if it were his archrival. "I'm sorry, Pyrrha, that we're not enough of a challenge for you."

"No…"

"That's not true," Weiss stole the words from Pyrrha's mouth along with the responsibility under her nose, waltzing over from her own team practice to help her captain onto his feet. "You've improved a lot, Jaune. Give yourself some credit. It's hard to measure your own progress against someone who's also improving, let alone someone like Pyrrha."

Despite being well-intentioned, this offhand comment felt like a slap in the face.

But why? Pyrrha knew she should be grateful that Weiss was been becoming less of a sycophant, and that her captain could use all the morale-boosters he could get. In fact, it was the sincerity of the Schnee which grated her the most, a far cry from the conceited little woman who had tried to toady up to her that first day at Beacon.

-Just as Pyrrha herself had come far in those scant few months. Straying away from the person who would simply 'let the chips fall where they may' and assume the best in people- even when she knew it wasn't true.

"Speaking of which, you sure you're alright, Red?" Yang never used this nickname with her sister, probably because it had been assigned by that ne'er-do-well Roman Torchwick. But 'Red' had been bequeathed to Pyrrha by _Jin_, apparently making it alright. "I don't mean to be nosy, but it seems to me like you're burning the candle at both ends."

Admitting Yang was right (including her being prying), Pyrrha knew that she'd been training hard those past few weeks- perhaps excessively, if her slipping academic scores were any indication. Though none of her teammates had asked and she hadn't said, it was obvious they suspected something wasn't quite right in the state of Nikos.

"That's rich, coming from you." With JNPR's match well and dead, Weiss revived her own argument against the blonde and faced her with a reproving look. "When's the last time you did something other than go to the gym?"

"Oh, come on, I-"

"-_Or _spend the rest of the day in the bathroom trying to fix what all that sweating did to your precious hair?"

"Oh, you think _I _take a long time? I swear, the last time you were in there I thought you were writing another one of your pretentious essays on how Schnee Dust is even more refined than caviar!"

"Guys, can we not go through this again?" Wandering over like the lone sheepdog for her ornery flock, the speedster of team RWBY looked just about as wrung out as the members of JNPR. Playing peacemaker all the time was no doubt tiring. "I mean, we were doing so well with the formations just now…"

"Eh, just let them get it out of their system." Too ready to give up, Blake joined the others lazing about and urged Ruby to do the same. "I think they feel arguing is cathartic. Besides, it looks like everyone's about ready to quit anyway."

"You know, if you have any energy left, maybe you'd like to help Pyrrha?" Ren spoke up from his place at their feet, laying the suggestion down like a book bag he was tired of carrying. "I think that she wanted to get in one round before lunch. But the rest of us…"

"Oh, sure!"

Unlike the rest of them, Ruby managed to perk herself up and reverse the long hours since that morning. The wrinkles in her clothes and even the premature lines of stress seemed to smooth out as she darted towards the opportunity.

Anxious for any kind of distraction, Pyrrha latched on to the little red-hooded girl who came to a screeching halt in front of her. Under Ruby's smile of encouragement, she lifter herself to full herculean height and smiled back (her face feeling heavier than her entire body).

"I'd _love _to have a spar with you, Pyrrha- I mean, I'd really like to- only if you're up to it- not that I think you wouldn't be able to keep up just that- well, I _am _kind of known for my speed. B-but I know speed isn't everything and there's technique and all that- and _you're_ like all that, and everything, and just- we actually haven't had a chance to face each other, ya know? Not even in class. And I really, really want to see your weapons in action firsthand and -oh! How's the armor doing by the way?"

The question lay like a needle at the bottom of Ruby's precarious stack of words, prickling Pyrrha into a response.

"You did an excellent job. It's wonderful, thank you." And it truly was. The armor Ruby made for her was an improvement over her old set in every way.

Covering more but restricting less, it was made from composite metals that would still react with her Semblance. The hexagonal lamellae were layered like phyllo dough, in such a way that no spearpoint could sneak its way in from above or below. From the formidable curves of her shoulders to where it dripped down her hips, impact was distributed throughout the entire ensemble which wore her like a second skin.

It felt… natural.

Pyrrha had noticed the feeling first under the incandescent light of the workshop where Ruby had shown her the prototype. Bronzed scales had shimmered like a school of Koi in a murky pond, as if waiting to grant her wish. Lo and behold, when worn, it transformed Pyrrha into a gilded mermaid who could swim through blood as easily as water. It became the tail that she never knew she lacked.

It became yet another reason to resent Ruby.

They were too much alike; both too skilled, too awkward, too _kind. _Yet, somehow, that idiot savant had managed to hammer Pyrrha's flaws into beautiful repoussé, finding every awkward edge and gaping defect in her life and filled it in, filed it down, made it into something… worthy.

"I'm glad you like it."

And yet, Ruby knew nothing of darkness that lurked in people's hearts, ignorant to even Pyrrha's own jealous thoughts. There was nothing behind the girl's own guileless expression but the selfless and genuine desire to _help _one and all.

It was easy for Pyrrha to see why Jin picked on the young huntress. But understanding it, sympathizing with that devil just made her feel more miserable.

"I suppose I owe you then," Begrudgingly, Pyrrha resolved to put aside both differences and similarities. Jin wasn't there to make any of his unhelpful comments, and this _was_ something she wanted… she thought.

"-Only if you're sure you're feeling alright!" Ruby waved her hands as emphatically and sincerely as if the offer was for a dessert cart.

"Careful there, Red!" Just as oblivious as her sister, Yang threw her jibe into the conversation. "Don't believe a word she says! Ruby still thinks she can get something from Jin if she bests all of us, and she knows she can't beat you without an advantage. My sis can be a crafty little weasel when she wants to be!"

"Yaaaaang!" The younger protested.

Pyrrha smiled at the sisters. But secretly, she _wanted _to believe that the girl wasn't as pure as portended. While Yang shed light on Ruby's character, Pyrrha chose to see only the shadows which transformed the pure-hearted huntress into something… malicious. Terrible. Monstrous.

"That's not it!" Ruby denied with the fervency of a guilty conscience. "It's just… what friends _do_…" And then, finished meekly- not monstrous in the slightest.

It seemed to come out of the blue and slap some sense into Pyrrha. She hadn't noticed when the sisters stopped arguing- nor indeed, when this dark mood had crept up on her like Jin's long shadow. But she recognized that she had to stop it now! That wasn't Ruby- this wasn't _her_! She was- they were-

"I mean, I _think _we're friends," Despite what was running astray through Pyrrha's head, she chose to overlook the skepticism and conceit that lurked in each pause for breath. "And friends help each other out, right? Sure, I want to spar as well. And yeah, it'd be nice to win… someday,"

Someday they might all look back at this and laugh, but right now the others had stopped wallowing in their post-workout pain to listen with rapt attention.

"But I can wait. And if I never win, so what? I've _already _won." There was no doubt in her conviction, even though everyone else was wondering what she was talking about. "I'm here _at Beacon_. Okay, it's not exactly how I thought it would be. But in some ways, it's better. I honestly didn't know if I'd get along with anybody but my sister, being younger and well… _weird_. But now I've got loads of awesome friends!

"-And that's something that Jin doesn't have. He might be strong, stronger than I'll or any of us'll _ever _be- but who's he got to get _stronger _for? Say he does end up teaching me, turns me into some kind of super-huntress that can destroy any Grimm just by staring at them? What's even the _point_ if there's nobody to protect?"

It would have been all too easy to unravel the thread of thought she left hanging there. But no one said a word. No one even breathed as if it would banish the idea like a soap-bubble rainbow. Even Weiss who had been wondering until that moment whether any of the students could really consider themselves _friends _(resources, allies, perhaps, in the fight against _Evil_), now had a look like she was walking on Faberge Egg shells. Even she was afraid to find out if this diamond-in-the-rough relationship was really only flimsy paste.

As Pyrrha noticed, everything had become so tenuous and fragile since meeting Jin. Simply by stepping into their lives, he shook the foundations of all that they once thought certain and solid. Even when he wasn't physically present, he was always in their minds, twisting thoughts into uroboric serpents and laughing while they devoured themselves.

And the more Pyrrha realized she hated him, the more she discovered a hatred for herself.

"**Awe, so you mean that you **_**don't **_**consider me a friend?" **

It was a sign as to how much he had already affected them that they didn't even flinch.

"Well, well. Look who's finally decided to _not _show his ugly mug again?" Not missing a beat, Yang hurled the insult in the direction of his voice with all the audacity of a slingshot against a Goliath.

"**Heh, not bad," **And just like her previous attacks, this one had no effect as he marched silently out of the woods. Coming to an ambling stop in front of both teams, he cocked his head in the direction of RWBY. **"**_**Xiao Long **_**have you been working on that one? Let me guess: the entire time I was gone? I knew you missed me… I guess even your aim sucks." **

"Hey, hey, hey! Puns are _my _schtick!" No surprise, Yang was more upset about this than any of his previous transgressions. "So why don't you stick it up your-"

"_**Yours?**_** Pretty sure puns have been around **_**long **_**before you could even articulate feelings of abandonment." **Not a gasp or a giggle was heard at the remark towards Yang's wayward mother. It was old hat by now, so Jin tipped his hat towards her partner instead. **"…Speaking of, you ever hear the old one about the ninja who confused Chakra with **_**Cat**_**ra?" **

"No," Blake lied easily enough, refusing to let the scowl show on her face. But what she couldn't repress was the sudden and gripping fear, her hands feeling like strangers as they tightened around her bicep. The other day, she _had _come across Chakra in one of her books. Dismissing it at the time, now…"-And I have no desire to."

"**Pity, you'll never know the punchline" **He preened. **"Anyway-"**

"So, what are you here for _this _time?" It was the question on everybody's lips- right until Weiss actually asked, and then it became: 'What the hell are you _thinking?!'_ "-_Surely_, it's not to match wits with the half-wit or exchange verbal barbs with people you _barely _know the names of, so unless you have some other business…"

Barely able to breathe towards the end, Weiss's voice dropped off while Jin walked over to her and bent down as if her lost words were a handkerchief.

"**My, my. Look who finally decided to grow a spine," **Back rigid, Weiss only had enough nerves to scowl viciously up at him. **"Ah, yes, **_**now**_** I'm beginning to see the family resemblance. You have a sister, too, don't you? A Sgt.- no, Cpt. Schnee? No, no, no, that's not right…" **

"_Lt. _Winter Schnee," Weiss supplied through clamped teeth, wishing she could face the Monster with as much dignity as her sibling- hell, wishing she could open her mouth enough to bite off the finger he pointed at her.

"**Right! -But then why does Cpt. Winter sound so familiar…? Nah, couldn't be. I remember, she got a field promotion after her commanding officer… **_**fell**_ **in the line of duty. Poor fellow- I suppose. Truthfully, I don't even remember what he looked like. But Winter, ah, she was a real looker, certainly nothing to **_**Schneeze **_**at." **

"You… _son of a-"_

"**-How could I ever forget?!" **One-upping Weiss, he cut her off and caught her fist before it was thrown. Held ever so delicately between two of his claws, he was ready to kiss it or _cut it off entirely_. **"You **_**are**_** her spitting image. Very different attitude, however. She was much more… obedient. Smarter, too, I surmise. You could stand to learn a trick or two from your elder. Say what you will, but Atlas doesn't raise rabid **_**dogs**_**." **

Weiss realized what he was doing: it was exactly how it was before, with Yang- it might as well have been Yang standing there for all the control that Weiss had over her own actions. She was a train without brakes, and Jin was an Acme-esque black splotch on the side of a mountain that just looked like a tunnel. Her hands trembled as if trying with all their might to squeeze the switch and derail herself, but she'd never be able to-

"Stop it."

Something squeezed her hand gently, and Weiss's mind came squealing to a halt. Looking up from her unfortunate fantasy, she saw the reality of Ruby standing by her side. Resolutely between her and the Grimm.

"**Killjoy," **Condemning her, yet he sounded pleased. And Ruby, who could feel his verbal smirk, was forced to wonder who it was for. **"I really should have figured you'd step up to 'save' your friend; Pipsqueak can't pass up the opportunity to play hero. Although, I'll admit, I was really expecting someone else…" **

The good humor in his voice dropped as his gaze fell on JNPR, and icy red eyes met an enflamed blue. But no matter how much Jin glared, Jaune would not baulk. Muscles as tight as fiddle strings, he was held in place only by Pyrrha who kept him from leaping into the line of fire.

For what? The world's only self-conscious Schnee? This twiggy little twat who barely used to give him the time of day? Honor? _Friendship?_ Something even more asinine like love…?

"_**I hate being right…" **_He whispered to himself with a sneer.

"What?"

"**-I said you're right," **Redoubling the harshness in his voice, Jin turned on his spurred heel and stomped over any trace of the previous conversation. **"I **_**didn't**_** come here to chat with you twerps- this was just a side trip. Believe it or not, I actually have things to do during the daytime. Not all problems can be solved with others in the dark, unfortunately." **

"Then, you must be here to see Ozpin…?" Curious yet cautious, Ren kept his question quiet enough that it could pass for personal musing. Still, Jin heard it.

"**Nooo." **He drawled, dragging his feet as he turned back to look towards them with an eyeroll that could have capsized the world. **"I'm actually here to see Glynda. You know, it's been a while, so I thought I'd stop by and apologize. Also, I'd heard the Goodbitch got some new S&M equipment and wanted to try it out with little Prof. Peach when things got a little too rough. Now the little fruitcake's out of commission, but there's still one or two toys that Ms. Dominatrix can't quite fit herself and well, every now and then I'm curious about what it feels like to **_**not **_**be on **_**top…**_

Every now and then, they could still be surprised. Perhaps they shouldn't have been, considering he seemed to know how to push their buttons as easily as a Scroll (despite his denial he didn't know how to use one). Now simply sitting back, he watched their faces flush as their minds went down the drain.

"Okay," Ruby started hesitantly, looking around to see that she was the only one unaffected. "I'm _pretty sure _that was sarcasm. But I still have _so _many questions."

"**Told you, you're getting nothing from me." **Not a peep more, not even staying to enjoy enjoying the fallout, he surprised them yet again by waving a dismissal and walking away towards the school. **"Perhaps later… or next time... or something."**

"Oi! Asshole!"

Jin stopped. The world stopped as everyone held their breath; most in with a gasp, but Yang was on the downstroke as she let her words ring out over the field.

"…**What?" **

"Nothin'," As her lungs inflated with air, so did Yang's face with a smile. "Just wanted to see if you'd answer when called. Turns out, _old_ _dogs _apparently can learn new tricks too."

Whipping her head to the side, Weiss was met with Yang's grin that could not have been bigger if she'd actually managed to tag the Grimm. Weiss in turn was gobsmacked, unable to decide whether she was grateful to the blonde, surprised that she could be so quick-witted, or mortified- either at their impending demise or at Jin's salacious speech.

Jin looked unsure too. Standing up the hill from them, he almost appeared to sway like the steeple on an old, forgotten church. One with windows boarded up and whose believers had long since left. In this decrepit state he could last a minute or millennia- the moment they spent watching him felt like the latter as they waited for a sign.

Declining good or evil, he walked away.

There might have been a whisper of 'not bad,' but it also could have just as easily been a figment of their imaginations, or the whispers of ghosts.

"So…" Once again, Ruby looked around and sought the council of her cohorts. "That was weird. Right?"

"For us, or for him? Neither, no, not really." Now that he wasn't being beaten to a pulp or besieged by terror, Ren relished every breath of fresh air and answered slowly. "I think… it's just the way things are, now."

"The new normal, huh?" Joining the conversation, Jaune scrunched his face as he thought about what that would mean for him, whether or not he would survive.

And surreptitiously, Weiss searched the faces of her so-called 'friends' for any ulterior motive. It was in human nature to be selfish. _That _was normal, and the Grimm was the ultimate exception proving the Rule. So then, why… "…No. Not normal. Normal is the reality that other students go through."

"I'd think this is real enough." Breathing out a sigh, Yang rubbed the back of her head where a scar lingered just underneath the hairline.

"Too real." Jaune added.

More than real, Weiss realized. She still wasn't convinced that they could be anything more than associates without the terror of the Grimm tying them together. But these were extraordinary circumstances and it was nice… nice-no, necessary to have something to rely on. Speaking of…

"…Where's Blake?" Gone again, the seven searched high and low but couldn't find her.

"_Typical_ Blake," Groaning, Yang gathered herself and whatever gear they had left around the field. "She's got the right idea, though, if you ask me. I'm starved- and honestly, done with this shit for now."

Others agreed, dragging themselves slowly towards the dining hall in what was becoming a well-worn track to and from the forest.

"I'm sorry we didn't get to face each other today," Staying behind the rest, Pyrrha smiled apologetically down at Ruby.

"'S alright," Admitted the girl with a slight drawl to show how tired she really was. "We'll get another chance, I'm sure of it."

"Yeah, next time."

"Yeah…"

Ruby mouthed her agreement. But looking up at the redhead's smile, she thought there was something else there. A rivalry, perhaps? She was joyous at this idea, that the Mistral champion regarded her as such, however…

In the right light, the smile looked like Jin's.

* * *

"What do you want from me?"

"**Usually it's the accosted who asks that question…" **

Blake hesitated and nearly fell behind Jin who was not waiting on her for once. On the contrary, he was moving deliberately somewhere, and Blake was forced to debate whether she wanted to follow him in this mood.

"You called me out," Not raising her own voice, she caught up to his coattails which swept the halls without so much as a 'swish'. "You knew I'd found something on this 'Chakra' and wanted to tell me…"

Her sentence dragged to a halt along with his feet, allowing her mind to catch up.

"You… didn't know?" The idea of his ignorance startled her more than she'd like to admit, but Blake wasn't about to waste this miracle moment. "-But you _do_ knowwhat it is? It's real, not some theory or myth."

"**Coincidence is real, too, you know." **Considering how long he'd been around, the likelihood of their lives intersecting was much as leaves getting caught up in the branches of an old oak. It was bound to happen- But then, why them? **"Myth, legend, what does it matter? Rather than looking down that rabbit hole, you'd be better off focusing on something productive… like what your old buddies've been up to." **

His attempt at changing the conversation was almost pathetically transparent. But being so clear, Blake could also see that it contained a threat. She decided not to press her luck.

"…So, you still have something to tell me, then." She deduced, afraid to use up her allotment of answers while playing this full-scale game of Hangman. "What does Ozpin know about a connection between the White Fang and the Dust robberies?"

"**Not much," **And it seemed like he was going to end it there, but continued walking. **"Oz seems to think he has **_**bigger **_**threats to concern himself with than petty crim and terrorists. However, I got curious myself and decided to do a little snooping. **

"**You may or may not believe in coincidence, but doesn't it seem odd how the scale and scope of Dust robberies somehow increased, even after your pipsqueak captain took out Torchwick's hired help? Not to mention, the number of Faunus demonstrations seems to be going up even without any provocation from the Vale Police. What if I told you that he's now working with the White Fang towards their own nefarious ends?**

He asked in his usual, underhanded tone, waiting for the internal turmoil it would cause.

"Not possible."

-Perhaps she would have said this, been indignant at the mere suggestion. But that was before when she had been ignorant to a great many things. And now… Blake didn't know what to believe, only that the Grimm hadn't been caught lying to them, so far. So, she gulped and used one of her precious questions to ask:

"How do you know?"

"**Maaa, so skeptical. But if you must verify my sources, I was taking a midnight stroll through the city and happened upon a White Fang patrol and… shall we say, **_**persuaded **_**them to talk. It was easy enough, mostly painless, I assure you. Humans and Faunus aren't that different, right? When you get down to the brass tacks of it, they're both the same inside." **Blake felt her own mood sag as he grinned suggestively, back to his usual games. **"…Wanna know how I **_**know that**_**?" **

No, she absolutely did not- but still couldn't help thinking about it. Blake became physically ill at the idea, both that the White Fang was in league with Human criminals, and that this Monsterhad done… _something _horrific to her fellow Faunus.

That _something_ haunted her, but Blake once again couldn't ask. She became stuck in a morbid silence that was like being buried alive, the cadavers of her former comrades lying next to her with claws around her throat. _She _had been the one to kill them by giving Him the initiative, letting the _mad dog_ off-leash.

A hand leashed around her arm, dragging her up from the ground. Blake could barely stand, but that didn't stop the incessant tug which was more than enough to take up the slack and practically drag her down the hall.

"What are you doing? Where are you taking me?!"

"**Where? Why, to fulfill your half of the bargain, of course." **

Blake tried to walk but kept tripping over her own feet as he led her onwards without stopping, the hand shackled around her wrist uncomfortably tight. But that discomfort was nothing compared to the internal agony. Rather than look up and recognize the familiar path they were on, she instead saw the gruesome tableau of murdered Faunus flash by in every floor tile.

"No! I don't want to go!"

Others were beginning to look at the pair now with concern more than curiosity. But still, the students gave them a wide berth as the Grimm cut his way through towards the headmaster's office.

Wasn't anyone going to help her? Why were they just standing there?! Not paralyzed by fear… was it because she was a Faunus, about to get what she deserved? In that moment it didn't even occur to Blake that she still had her disguise because she knew, inside, she was guilty.

"**Quit being melodramatic." **His voice was less commanding than his grip, though even that lessened as patience slipped in. **"I told you, it's nothing too onerous. Just help me convince Ozpin to take you on a little mission over the coming school break. After which, all that's required of you is a few words and your pretty face, I promise."**

Blake wasn't reassured in the _slightest_… right up until she was. It must have been the sudden ability to stand straight, the lack of tugging on her arm as it hung limp in the circlet of his claws.

Or, perhaps something he said.

"You promise?"

"**-A slip of the tongue." **

Right then Blake could have slipped from his company, fled the coop and flew back to the psychological safety of her team. But that's why she was doing this, to not get them involved in her own vendetta. Besides, it wasn't like running away would do any good here. If it ever had.

"**I'd still be willing to give you the next best thing: a guarantee." **

A guarantee from Jin was almost certain to be leagues better than the ones given by banks, stamped on toothpaste tubes touting a 'bigger, brighter smile', and Ponzi schemes that swore to make more money [for them] than you knew what to do with.

It was still, however, a long way from a promise.

Even retracted, there was no way to take it back. Just like her own word.

"…Okay," Sighing, she resigned herself to walk silently next to him. At the very least, they were getting closer to the headmaster's office and very likely the last bastion of safety left in the world.

If Jin could have truly read her thoughts, he would have smiled.

He did.

"**Try to sound a bit more excited, ne?" **Himself sounding more relaxed, there was even a slight swagger to his masqueraded walk. And he took special care to keep Blake by his side, like proud father walking bride-to-be down the aisle.

"**After all, we are going home." **

* * *

"It's almost time to leave… where's Blake?"

Ruby asked, for the umpteenth time since the dark-haired woman had disappeared. While it was hard to blame the captain for her concern, they did wish she'd be quieter about it. They all had their coping mechanisms, but having the same question crammed down their throats every minute, between bites at the lunchroom, on the way to class, snuck under the bathroom door, and now-

"Would you just cram it?!"

Weiss hadn't wanted to admit it, but she was worried too. Whatever Blake was to her, friend, ally, aloof acquaintance- it didn't matter, and she didn't want to think about it. Unfortunately, she could ignore it only so long, before it finally exploded.

"A-ahem…" Straightening her dress, she went back to pretending they were all just standing about, waiting for whatever substitute Ozpin had managed to scrounge up for their trip to Forever Fall. Apparently, Professor Peach _did _call in sick that day… another thing she didn't want to look too deeply into. "…Sorry Ruby, I really didn't mean it."

"It's okay," Realizing that she was supposed to be a pillar of support for the rest of them, the young huntress mustered up and broadcast a reassuring smile that was as empty as the calories in her snacks. "She knows we have the field trip, so she'll be here any moment now."

No one wanted to express their doubts, and they didn't need to. Their anxiety was as palpable as the heat bleeding off the tarmac, the flames from the Bullhead's engines as they revved them, growling like-

"_Him?!_" Jaune paled despite the heavy afternoon sun. It didn't take much to see why.

Certainly, everyone was relieved (and shocked) to see that Ruby was right. Blake had finally reappeared and was plodding her way over to the pack of students. What they did not expect was her accompaniment.

Although, with the open field and the way life was going, they should have seen it coming a mile away.

"Welcome back," Unbidden by the two imposing personalities flanking Blake, Ruby walked right up and delivered the same line she'd been given when returning from parts unknown.

"Thanks," The roving huntress replied with a reserved smile, clearly disturbed by something said or done in the time she'd been gone, but otherwise unmolested. "Sorry… if I worried you."

"**We** can deal with that later," With emphasis on the collective, Ruby squeezed her hand and began to lead her back where she belonged. But both paused to look back at Blake's escorts. "By the way…"

"_Later_." Blake asserted, shooting some kind of look at Jin who appeared even more grim than usual and was averting his eyes toward them. Not complaining, they quickly retreated to the relative comfort and anonymity of the crowd.

"I'm only going to say this once," Glynda then stepped forward and somehow eclipsed the enormous man behind her, shooting a no-nonsense look across the gathered students who had settled down well before she got within spitting range. "This might be Professor Peach's class and her plan for a field trip. But _**I **_am the one in charge now, and I will tolerate no tomfoolery, no rule breaking, and _nothing _that will endanger any student."

No one really needed a reminder of this, as they all had combat class with the woman and learned to fear and respect the Witch. But it was still weird, as she seemed to direct the last part more towards the massive man standing behind her.

"Um, excuse me, Ms. Goodwitch?" A fellow first-year they barely knew raised his hand, almost lowering it with the withering look he received from Glynda. "But who's that guy, and what's he doing here?"

Impossible as it seemed to teams RWBY and JNPR, (especially after the collateral damage he'd caused the school) apparently there were students still ignorant about Jin. Or rather, at least, _Uncle Jin_.

"Don't worry about him." Another impossibility, as several students wondered whether they'd be forced to share a Bullhead with him, or if the craft could even support his weight. "The headmaster has assigned him for extra… security. It will be a reminder that even though this is supposed to be a safe place, there are always things out there that can hurt you."

They all tried their best to ignore the irony.

"Now, students, saddle up!"

* * *

Evidently, Later could mean many different things.

To the leader of team RWBY, Later referred to the very moment they were back together and every second thereafter (like, right now!). Ruby could admit she was a bit of an impatient person. But in her eyes, there was no reason to withhold whatever happened (how could they solve the problem if they didn't know what it was?!). And so, she was just a teensy, tiny little bit annoyed that Blake continued to be mum on the subject.

But Blake was worried about the many eyes and ears still around them. Later, for her, meant whenever they were out of Forever Fall and away from any possibility of being overheard. It was already going to be difficult fessing up to her team. She knew the truth was going to come out some time, but she thought that it would be… later.

Then there was Yang, who was perfectly happy to let their current task languish while she relaxed under the ridiculously red leaves. Using her empty jar as a pillow, she lay down to enjoy the relative peace and quiet, resolving to get their assignment done sometime later… after her nap.

For Weiss, Later always came after what needed to be done. Concentrating on their assignment, she was perfectly content to watch the amber sap slowly seep from the tree and coil in the bottom of its container. She continued to stare at it, wishing in the old wives' tail that a watched pot never boiled. If this were true, she could let her thoughts simmer in peace for the rest of the afternoon.

"Has anybody seen Jin?"

Apparently, Later could also mean never. The moment they touched ground on the outskirts of Forever Fall, the Grimm had disappeared -which was fine for Glynda and the rest of the students, who were noticeably nervous in his presence (even the teacher, though she declined to show it).

Then again, the fact that all the leaves were the same color as his eyes made them feel like they were still being watched.

"Why, in the name of Remnant, are you even looking for _Him_?" Weiss gagged at the mere thought of the Grimm. Even the cloyingly sweet scent of the sap- apricots and honey with a hint of lavender- could not make the memory of his foul odor go away.

"Well, I want to know why he's here… or not here." It made sense, at least to her. "-Because _someone _won't tell us."

"He's watching. Ozpin wants to make sure he can keep track of us." Seeming not to care about Ruby's amateur sarcasm, Blake continued to wander aimlessly while making sure not to stray too far from the clearing they had found.

"Why?"

But Blake just turned her back and disappeared behind a tree, leaving Ruby to pout.

"Just let it be, Ruby," Yang slurred from her spot in the cool afternoon shade. "She's not traumatized or anything, so just let Blake talk when she wants. 'Sides, she knows if she ever needs help, we're always here for her."

Cracking an eye, Yang tracked the concealed Cat Faunus as she wove in and out of sight. "…Right?"

While her partner's words were meant to be encouraging, Yang's stare was as persistent as a predator's. Though temporarily content, nevertheless, Blake felt nervous for how that might change _later_.

"…Right."

"See? There you go." Shutting her eye again, Yang promptly went back to sleep.

And so, Ruby found herself without anywhere to go from there. She wanted desperately to do something to improve their situation, it was her duty and her desire to help her team-

But she couldn't do anything unless they were willing to help themselves.

Sighing, she got back to work.

"-Hey!"

…Starting by helping herself to Yang's unfilled jar. Unsupported, the lazy blonde's head hit the dirt. She made an undignified sound like a dying mule before kicking to her feet and glaring at Ruby.

"-The heck was that for?!"

"Felt like it," Feeling a tad childish, the team captain stuck her tongue out at her sister and blew a raspberry.

"Oh, that's it-"

"Guys, I distinctly remember hearing Glynda say something about 'tomfoolery'." Not looking up from the laborious process, Weiss continued to blindly scold the blonde and her partner. "I'm pretty sure this is the literal defini- watch it!"

Someone bumped into her and she nearly lost the sap along with her patience. Recovering both, Weiss stood up and was ready to reprimand her childish teammates but realized in short order that it would be no use.

"What's gotten into you two?" She marveled at the mess they were making of themselves (and the picturesque forest, beginning to look more like an abstract painting), sharing her exasperation with Blake who had also stopped to watch things unfold.

"Maybe it's just a reminder that we all need to live in the moment."

Turning to ask her only other 'sane' teammate what she meant, Weiss found the woman stealing a taste of the sap she had just collected. Caught like a child with her hand in the cookie jar, Blake just waited expectantly for Weiss to say or do something about it.

"…I bet JNPR doesn't have to put up with this."

* * *

Somewhere out in the woods, someone sneezed.

It was a wimpish noise, a mere blip, barely audible above the heartbeat of the forest; breathing which rustled the rusty leaves like the bloodstained pages of history. Oh yes, there were ghosts here. And if their eternal cries went unheard, why should he care about some mortal whose life lasted less time than that sneeze.

Jin didn't.

But not caring didn't mean he didn't notice things.

"**Surely, you didn't think you could sneak up on me, did you?" **With eyes closed and no one around, it seemed as if he were talking to himself. Or perhaps to the restless spirits both outside and within. **"I will say though, this place is certainly your color. However, I think you'd look equally at home drenched in the blood of your enemies." **

One blood-red eye freed itself from his skull, scanned the horizon of Forever Fall before coming to rest on the crimson-haired huntress as she descended from the branches. Her complimentary clothing was, ironically, perfect camouflage for this place. If it was anyone else- well, they wouldn't be having this conversation.

"**Well? How about it, Red? Am **_**I **_**your enemy? Do you need a little black dress to supplement your warrior's wardrobe?" **He sat cross-legged, his cloak opened, and tails coiled around his feet like a lotus flower. Contrary to how Pyrrha expected him to be, he seemed almost- dare she say- peaceful? **"-Or have you resolved to be an obedient slave and come to offer yourself unto me, body and soul? -Oh, please let it be the latter." **

Pyrrha heard these words but had nothing to say to them. They were hollow noise, like a house creaking and settling into its foundations. Just background… like her.

"What is it that you want from me?"

She tried to follow him into serenity, spreading her arms and offering everything- and nothing. What was she, after all? To him? To _anyone_? It had been almost two months since she'd been claimed by the Demon. More than two years since she'd been declared a champion of men. Almost two decades since the doctor pronounced of this world- and forever since she knew herself.

She wanted- _needed _to know. Pretending to be apathetic was useless- suddenly impossible as he stood up and broke the halcyon atmosphere, growling like an unsatisfied stomach.

"**You know, you're the second person to ask me that today…" **And how many in a lifetime? Too many, or too few? **"The real question is… **_**what is it you want from me?!"**_

His response was violent. Not physically, but a storm raged behind black flesh, twisted muscles like trees in the wind and tried to escape through his eyes which were two tornadoes looking to tear her apart.

"**Do you want me to kill you, erase your pathetic existence?!" **Slowly as an iceberg he encroached upon her, resistance melting away with the heat in his voice. **"Humans are ignorant by nature. But is not knowing really such torture that you'd throw yourself at my mercy? **

"**Or, is **_**this**_** your answer to existential suffering? Would you **_**like **_**me to torture you so that you know what real****pain feels like? Do you want me to rape you? Humiliate you in front of your peers? Make you watch while I destroy those you know and love? **_**Just get it all over with?!**_

"**Or maybe… maybe you'd like me to rediscover love, redeem myself with its virtue-**_**be **_**the one to save me... Ha! Well, let me shed some light on a little secret of life, in case you didn't know…" **

Her world became dark as he loomed over her, all except for two bloody stigmata that seemed to reach out and pierce her through the breast. She gripped her weapon harder, wishing it were the spear of Longinus and not mere Miló. From the unknown darkness came the voice of a God, profound and indifferent to human suffering.

"… **This is it. All there is." **

Of course, she knew this from the beginning. Water would not turn to wine overnight, just as the anger in his heart wouldn't become affection with this purge. But miracles like this weren't her intent. No, she just wanted a little bit of illumination.

"Fire," She breathed, and the Titan seemed to shy away. There was anger and pain in his eyes, but as if bound by invisible chains, he made no move to stop her from speaking. "The symbol on the hat, that's what it means… Blake told me… it's the same one on your cloak."

The garment was practically falling apart as it sat loose on his shoulders. But he didn't hesitate to bind it around himself as if experiencing a bitter chill, tying the slim obi around his waist at the same time his tails tucked themselves into the loose folds. Ceasing to be god or demon, in this metamorphic state he seemed almost vulnerable_._

"_**So what?"**_

"You gave it to me," Pyrrha insisted, taking one pace towards him, then another. "Why? -There must have been a reason."

"**Not so much as you might believe."** Sticking to this point- yet he was falling back, bowing away from this previous action he now seemed to regret. **"I told you before: it suits you. It's garish, outdated, anachronistic. **_**Useless**_**. As for why… maybe I enjoy messing with your mind, giving you hope just to snatch it away." **

"I don't believe you."

Back turned, she beheld the enigmatic emblem as it sat between his shoulder blades. Two lines rose and intersected, a point of flame flanked by two more marks like moths which danced with each breath he took. It was faded, stained so that its brilliant red color was now a dark burgundy, a dying ember.

"Even if it's useless… you kept it. And you gave it to me even before I… gave myself to you." Her face turned the color of the trees, flush with humiliation, frustration- but not hatred. "Therefore… there must be something else, it must mean something more than just a memento."

"**Heh, heh, heh…" **His laugh wasn't dark so much as dim, empty, like the guttering of a candle. **"Hopes are like memories: they betray us. The reality is never as pleasant as we want to believe, and the best thing we can do is let them fade… even though they will outlive us. Guess we can't escape who we are." **

Hiding it however, he returned to the tree where he lay his hat and donned it again. Turning around, he had transformed back into that thing which was neither man nor monster, yet had become an overbearing presence in their lives.

"**And do not forget who you are- **_**what **_**you are, is **_**mine**_**," **It was his voice rather than his claws which raked across her skin, sneaking in between the imperceptible cracks in her armor like oil. **"And what I want from you… is no less than the world." **

They were alone in the world. He had moved so close to her that the crown of his hat covered them both like the lattice in a gazebo. It was stifling, muggy with the words dripping from his lips. The feeling was primordial, both ancient and new. Two beings, man and woman.

"**It's true, I can take just about anything I want from this world… except that which can only be given. I have your body, your mind, your **_**hate **_**and even your curiosity. But there is so much more to you than that, isn't there, Pyrrha? Adoration. Appreciation. I'm willing to bet you have some avarice tucked up beneath that tight armor. How about it, is there something you desire? Does someone hold the Invincible Girl's envy? What **_**is **_**it****that makes you tic? Whatever it happens to be… I want **_**that**_**." **

At that very moment something caught her eye from outside their cloistered reality.

A glint, a flash. Grinning, he caught the reflective object before it smashed into them. Jin briefly looked at the claret-colored jar of sap and weighed it as if it were a fruit that just fell into his grasp. Then he held it out, presented it to her in the palm of his hand.

"**And best be sure, I will do whatever it takes to get it." **

The glass shattered as he crushed the jar like an apple, sticky red sap spilled through his fingers and onto the ground. The remaining fragments gnashed like teeth in his grip, before they too were pulverized into dust and all became silent again.

But before anything could be settled, another noise drifted in. It started as a drone, a buzz like background from the inner ear. Pretty soon it became a roar, and the world outside was black as the man in front of her.

"Are those-?" Whipping around, Pyrrha found a whirlwind suddenly engulfing them. One of the flying objects hit her in the face and she stumbled back into Jin.

"**-Mere **_**insects**_**." **He proclaimed, before incinerating the swarm of insectoid Grimm.

But Pyrrha didn't hear him. No, she _felt_, something warm which welled up from her stomach, spread to her chest and then her throat, burbling… purring? Right away, she knew that the sensation was not from her. Yet, it wasn't so much unfamiliar as… unrefined, rough, like the sandpaper tongue of a cat covering her entire body. This was Aura, wasn't it? Not her own, not like any she had ever felt and yet…

If she could have looked upon herself within that blue bubble of flame, Pyrrha would have seen her skin alight with liquid fire, her hair transformed into the tail of a comet. The energy might have been coming from him, but she was the magmatic core, the epicenter of the universe-

If only for a moment.

As it were, anyone looking at the brief scene from the outside would have been blinded by the sudden burst of incandescence. In less than a second, the swarm of Rapier Wasps was destroyed, vaporized like snow which had the misfortune of landing in an onsen.

"**Now, if you would excuse me for a moment…" **

And just like that, he stepped out and took the warm pool with him. Pyrrha shivered, not only for the lost heat, but because of the resurgence of cold cruelty in his voice.

Jin landed not far away, making no attempt to hide his massive impact. He _wanted _his audience to shake like tremors, to feel terror before he made them suffer for the temerity of their attack.

"**Well, well, well… what do we have here?" **The impromptu slingshot was smashed underfoot as he casually strolled towards the four, quivering huntsmen. **"The four sins of stupidity, eh? **

"**See-No-Stupid," **Dove had clamped his eyes shut and was crawling backwards away from the massive man.

"**Hear-No-Stupid," **Russel was waiting for a command from his captain to run, but otherwise wasn't listening to anything but his own frantic heartbeat.

"**Do-No-Stupid," **Sky shivered, whimpering slightly as he rubbed his hands which had been broken in four places the last time they encountered Jin.

"**And last, but not least, Speak-No-Stupid." **

Cardin didn't deign to answer. Although, that was mainly because he'd only recently had the wires removed from his jaw and was not anxious to have them replaced. Trying to get even with the sadistic man might have been a poor decision to begin with, but even he knew there was no longer anything to be gained by antagonizing him further.

"**You know, I actually **_**admire **_**what you tried to do here," **Admiring his hand, the way the late afternoon sun sparkled against the sap which had hardened into a crystalline candy. He flexed his fist and the coating cracked, gooey, liquid center flowing out like blood. **"You use the sap that you're told to collect as bait for the Rapier Wasps, stay a safe distance away and watch the chaos. There is nothing out of the ordinary, no evidence that can be linked specifically to you. And if you could run fast enough, you'd even avoid suspicion. Really, it's just about the perfect prank… except for one thing. Care to guess what it is?" **

Of course, they'd failed to run away- hadn't had the time before being pounced on by Jin. But this obviously wasn't the answer he was looking for, so Jin humored himself. Although, there was nothing funny about his dark countenance that they could see. Behind the black curtains that he drew over them Jin was grinning like the madman he was.

"…**You tried to prank **_**me**_**." **

"W-we know what you were really doin' here!" For some reason, his best friend and captain wasn't standing up for his team. Therefore, Russel Thrush knew it was up to him to do something. "A-and we got it all on camera! Anything happens to us, all of Vale will know by tonight!"

Like the few seconds of incriminating video, Jin went blank before their eyes. The grin dropped from his face and the illusion of dark flames disappeared from the background. He stood as stark as a scarecrow in front of them, ruby eyes now as lifeless as marbles.

"A-alright, that's bet-"

"**What do you****know?" **_What _did they know, what _did _they know, what did _they _know, what did they- **"Pray, tell me. Because if you had even an inkling of what I'm **_**really**_** about, you wouldn't blab about it so readily."**

They knew nothing. The moment he spoke, roles were reversed and the four felt their minds become as fallow as a field in late Autumn.

"You- you're a fraud!"

Faking it himself, Russel knew that they had no physical evidence- only the scars on their bodies to show what Jin would do to them if his bluff didn't work. When they had arrived, all they saw was their two targets standing on the same bullseye. It was only with hindsight that he wondered what they were doing alone and so close together.

"Oi, Russ…" Murmuring as best he could out of the corner of his mouth, Cardin whished his idiot partner would get the picture and _shut up_.

"You ain't that Blake-chick's Uncle," But team CRDL's leader didn't have access to his normal baratone, and so his warning went unheard. "You're here for the Invincible Girl, you two are Fu-"

"**-First off," **The only reason he had let Russel get as far as he had was because Jin suddenly found it all very amusing. Not that he was ever worried, no. Worse than that, there had been a moment where he was _annoyed. _There had been the possibility he'd have to kill these four and cover it up. But getting upset wasn't worth it, not for them. **"First off… so what?" **

Staring at the terrifying man like turkeys into rain, team CRDL had no clue how to answer. Not even Russel who had gone as blue as Sky's hair with the argument stuck in his throat.

"**What I do is none of your business, period. You'd do best to remember that. **

"**Second, I'm not a professor or even a part of the faculty, so the whatever rules there are about student fraternization don't apply to me… Same goes for corporal punishment. Though that's a fact that you four should already be **_**well **_**aware of. **_**Third**_**…" **

Counting off, Jin's fingers were poised like a pitchfork. He might not have been the devil, but he was the one tallying up their sins before the big trip down.

"… **I really did find your prank moderately funny. I might have let you all go with a slap on the wrist- or maybe something more appropriate for your age… like flogging. Anyway, that's irrelevant now because you decided to do something **_**incredibly **_**stupid, even after I gave you all the tools to avoid such future pain," **

Pain would have been preferable compared to the darkness which swallowed them whole. It had been near sunset before, but now it was midnight with the fiery colors migrating to his eyes which were two peepholes into hell.

"**You decided to try and **_**threaten me!**_**" **

The sun would never rise again.

"Enough!"

But the false night faded, and the four huntsmen were never so happy to see red. Not only in the backdrop of Forever Fall, but with the redheaded warrior standing between them and certain death. The twilight might have been fake, but the stars in their eyes were very real as they looked upon their savior.

"**Move aside," **

For a single, painfully long second, it seemed like Pyrrha would heed his command and leave them to the bed they so shoddily made. But she defied them all, continuing to stand up to Jin as much as anyone could.

"They don't know anything and there was no harm done," She pleaded their case, not raising her spear or arming the shield on her back. "There's no reason to harm them, is there?"

"…**Is that seriously a question?" **

Without reason, the four began to worry _for her_. As wrong as it seemed to think this of the so-called 'Invincible Girl', Russel had clearly been wrong about the relationship shared between her and the man called Jin. But with his impossible strength and sheer force of presence, they were beginning to doubt that he was human at all. As many questions as it raised, this theory also made a sickening amount of sense.

"Why can't you just let them believe what they will?" '_Isn't that punishment enough?'_

Now Jin seemed to be considering something alongside the students. And even if they hadn't a clue what it was, his conclusion was suddenly far more important than their own.

More important than that was the massive hand he reached out towards their savior. Any number of team CRDL might have flinched, forward or back in the moment they sensed the danger. But because Pyrrha didn't react, no one was desperate enough to rescue her.

In fairness, she thought that she was going to be swatted away… again. Instead, he gently brushed her face with his bandaged palm and thumbed her hair with scalpel-like precision. Holding her head in his hand, he could have crushed her like the jar at any moment. But… he didn't.

"…**Move aside." **

She did, and Jin filled the space she had left.

"**Now…"** He looked down at them with callous indifference, which couldn't really be considered better than the previous brutality. **"**_**First **_**things first, I do not believe I ever received my end of the bargain." **

Apart from the head-injuries, that'd also been three weeks ago, so it was a little difficult to conjure up the specifics of that night they'd all rather forget. As far as one could recall, he'd appeared happy enough just completely dominating them. And then he'd disappeared into the darkness of night (and unconsciousness), not reappearing until now.

Cardin and his cohorts looked amongst themselves like schoolyard children being given a shakedown for their pocket change before turning back to Jin, emptyhanded.

"**An apology." **

"We're sorry!"

Throwing himself at Jin's feet, the green-haired Thrush showed his true colors. He was willing to do or say anything and everything to pull the team out of this catastrophe. Even if it was mostly Cardin's fault. "We're sorry we tried- and failed- to prank you! We're sorry that we thought we could stand a chance against you in the spar! We're especially sorry that I- we insinuated that-"

"Shw sohme dgnty." The Winchester whispered out of the corner of his mouth, prodding his partner with his foot. As captain, he kept his upper lip as stiff as his jaw. But the huntsman wasn't without some humility. And so, Cardin squared up in front of the man who had all but castrated them and mumbled the words with his best annunciation.

"'M shorry."

The others followed suit, far more clearly, but none with the same significance conveyed by Cardin.

"**Not bad," **Crossing his arms, JIn commended, **"-But I never said the apology was for **_**me**_**." **

Panicked now, they scrounged for something- anything to appease the man. Finding Pyrrha's befuddled face off to the side.

"We're sorry, Pyrrha."

"**That's a start, but still not what I'm looking for." **Even Pyrrha looked at Jin now, trying to understand where he was leading with all this, wondering what she had precipitated by intervening on their behalf. **"Saying sorry in this case is just good manners. No, the person you have to seek forgiveness from isn't here. I want you four to go find that Faunus girl that you mocked in the cafeteria, Velvet, and see if she's as open-minded as you are." **

"Wait-"

"_**Actually,**_**" **Any protests that were forthcoming were shoved back in their throat and the four were taken off their feet by the force of this one word. **"That's all it would have taken back then. But now… you tried to blackmail me. Back out on our deal. Defame me in public, and possibly worst of all, think that you could actually pull a prank on me and get away with it… oh, you owe me far more than a single apology. **

"**In fact, you're going to find each and every Faunus student in this school and say you're sorry. Get them to forgive you for being bigoted idiots, for every crass comment and asinine action you've ever taken towards them or their kind. Prostrate yourselves, go belly up and **_**beg **_**for clemency. Or else…" **

Pain was easy to promise. It was much harder to get people to do what you wanted- next to impossible to get them to do it willingly.

But then, where would be the challenge?

"…**Until you manage this- and I will know whether you do- I won't change you back." **

"…Huh?" Cardin asked, letting his mouth hang open more than it should have during recovery. He hadn't a clue what Jin was talking about.

But Pyrrha did. Standing in front of them, she saw it all happen in a blink. Before she'd hung back and had to consider whether these four huntsmen were worth her mercy. But there hadn't been time now. However, in all honesty, even if she could, she wouldn't have changed a thing.

It took CRDL a few minutes to notice the change. Waiting motionless for several uncomfortable seconds, Sky at last had to move, do something like scratch his arm- where he found the feathers.

Next to Sky, Russel gave a squawk of surprise as his lips had turned into a colorful beak to match his mohawk.

Hearing the commotion with his newfound, fuzzy bear ears, Dove checked himself over only to find the appendages sticking out of his head. Not being able to handle the shock, he finally gave into his animalistic fear and began to run away from this madness. He was very quickly joined by the others with Cardin taking up the rear, a Dachshund's tail tucked between his legs.

"How…?" Pyrrha watched the team flee into the trees, all previous concerns wiped away like they had been for CRDL.

"**An illusion." **She didn't need to look at Jin to see him shrug. It might only have been an illusion, but it was also a reminder the sheer _might _this being possessed. Able to alter the reality of their world with but a look, they'd never ever see it coming. **"I'm actually unsure if other people can see it, but it'll last until I want it to end. And I'm sure that a few days seeing themselves as Faunus in a mirror will be enough motivation for them to believe it's real."**

True or not, there were apparently limitations to his omnipotence. That was even more shocking than simple divinity, and that he'd so easily admit this failing was more surprising still. But most of all, one thing bugged her:

"Why?"

"**They tried to prank me… so I pranked them back." **

It was such a petulant, childish response that Pyrrha nearly laughed. Not doing so because she didn't believe that was all there was to it. She looked at him with the hope that she could see through his thinly veiled lies. But it was behind his black tissue mask that she saw something else, murky tears soaking into the cloth.

Declining to point this out, Pyrrha was so taken aback that she said the first thing that came to mind.

"Thank you for not hurting them."

"**Psh. Pain is fleeting." **Dismissing her, he knew that she had seen his bloody tears and so didn't try to hide them anymore. He reached up and flung them away against the flora, which even then was turning a deep indigo in the dusky light. **"Many things hurt but are intended to make you stronger. If you want someone to suffer, you need only look to life for inspiration." **

"Life's not all bad," Pyrrha thought of her friends, hoping more than feeling that they were something real. She prayed that they would outlive their time in school, and even this moment of sobriety.

"**You're an even worse liar than I am," **He guffawed, then felt a twinge of guilt for doing so. **"-But let's not pretend that I'm not the villain here. Just because I do something unexpected every once in a while doesn't mean my motivations haven't changed. I meant what I said, telling you that I desire what can't be taken by strength."**

This was easier to believe. A being such as Jin who was so close to godhood could sometimes incidentally do good, even if it wasn't his intention. But didn't that mean they still had the capacity to change?

Pyrrha must have wondered this aloud by accident, because she found Jin in front of her once again. The tear-stained veil had been moved aside so that he could smile viciously, leaning in to deliver his answer-

He licked her.

It wasn't as slimy as expected given Yang's experience. The lithe tongue traced up her cheek where his sticky hand had caressed her and lapped up the last traces of sap from her skin. Pyrrha didn't move a muscle even as the slobber dripped from her jaw.

"…**Nope. It still tastes disgusting." **

"You…" Even though she realized he was referring to the sap, Pyrrha still didn't know how to take his verdict. She was certain that she should be the one grossed out, but his cheeky comment had taken that option from her. "…Pranked me?"

He laughed heartily, and when he was finished, she heard her team and RWBY calling out for her in the echo.

"**Girl, I'm just getting started." **


	12. Sea and Sand

**I'm baaaaaaaack. **

**Not too bad of a wait, eh? I hope. And in any case, you're getting TWO for the price of one. I couldn't just leave you guys with a cliffhanger, so part 2 of this chapter will be out by tomorrow (I probably could have published them at the same time, but that confuses people a bit). **

**I know I still owe some of you a little PM and a HUGE personal thank-you. I swear that I'll get to that this week. **

**In the meantime, I did write this one response immediately after it was posted the last time, so here it is:**

**To A Concerned Fan: I really wish you weren't writing the review as a guest, because the truth is that I always like to discuss this with people. In many ways I find myself like Jin, not knowing what I would do with this immortal opportunity but resisting being pigeonholed to a plot. I do not take your criticism as a flame and welcome it wholly. I know I suffer from an inability to follow the author's truism of 'show, don't tell'. **

**Rest assured, I do have a plan, and it should begin to coalesce now. You might, not entirely unfairly, consider the first 11 chapters 'filler'. Perhaps I could have tweaked the timeline more radically at the get-go, but I had certain concepts from the beginning that were personally difficult to get rid of. And in between the beginning and where we are now, I tend to get lost on the road of life.**

**Hopefully, it gets better from here. **

**That being said, 70-something reviews is more than I ever could have hoped for. I love the readers here who just leave a two-word approval, greatly appreciate the ones who tell me what I'm doing right (and wrong), and am indebted to those that take the time to deconstruct just who and what I am.**

**Thank you all! **

* * *

The sea.

Ruby had never really seen the sea. Like, really just stopped and watched the waves for hours on end.

Sure, she grew up on the Island of Patch, but that was almost so large as to be its own Kingdom (Dutchy, technically, until bloodlessly annexed by Vale at the beginning of the War of Reconciliation, about 80 years ago), where one could live their whole lives in the wooded center and never linger along the coast. And at the time, she'd been so preoccupied with all the normal girl stuff, school, friends, life, figuring out what was 'normal girl stuff', becoming a huntress, surviving the plague of monsters known as Grimm, struggling to cope with the fact that her mother _didn't _survive… where was she? Oh, right.

Friends.

She'd had friends back on Patch, ones she'd had to leave behind. But if she were honest, they weren't really the kind of friends she'd hang out with outside of school (not like her current, inseparable cohort). As such, she'd never really had much reason to go to one of the island's rocky beaches and truss herself up in a one-piece swimsuit that would be more for their edification than hers. Never sat on the sand and stared longingly into the great blue expanse, watching it change colors from indigo all the way to emerald.

In this way, coming to Beacon had really expanded her horizons (no pun intended) with at least two entirely new experiences (far more than that, but really, who was counting? [Ruby was, and so far, she'd tallied 27 'firsts']).

Although, maybe there was a reason why both permanent friends and a seaside visit had taken until now…

"I'm soooooo bored!"

Ruby propellered her legs back and forth over the prow of the boat, wishing she could simply run to their destination (Jin had mentioned something about not being able to walk on water anymore?). Instead, she was forced to sit there and let the lumbering craft plod imperceptibly through the surf, without any landmark to show that they were even moving at all.

Then there was the additional torture of watching the various aquatic animals frolic gaily in their wake (Argh! Why did they look like they were having so much fun? Plus, from her perspective, even the schools of sardines could swim faster than them!). For Pete's sake, there weren't even any Grimm for her to defend the boat against.

Well, there was _that _one…

"Careful there, Sis, be sure that you don't go _over_-bored."

Enduring Yang's puns were another kind of torture, but one she'd long since accepted. Ruby rolled her eyes along with the boat's rocking as her sister walked up and leaned over the rail next to her.

"So, what's up? If you don't want to just sit there, why don't you do something to distract yourself? You could read a book (like Blake), fish (ew), catch a nap (snooze), catch up on our homework (not recommended), or work on a tan, like Weiss," Briefly, Ruby wondered whether she was the blonde's distraction before Yang confirmed it by continuing to talk, "…Speaking of, maybe you ought to check and make sure the White Asparagus hasn't shriveled up in the sun or burnt herself to a crisp."

"I heard that!" The boat wasn't very big, and even with the steady wind driving them forward one could hold a conversation between prow and stern.

"Yeah, but all those are still just sitting around," Ruby bemoaned, ignoring her partner. "I need to run, to move!"

"That doesn't seem to be a problem for Oobleck."

It was then that the professor zipped by the two, totally oblivious to their conversation or the fact that he nearly knocked them over the side.

"Hey! Watch it!" Shouted Yang.

"Sorry, Ladies! It seems that I still need to regain my sea-legs!"

Despite his protests, the caffeine-fueled professor seemed perfectly capable of running the entire schooner by himself. Covering the entire deck in a matter of milliseconds, he was simultaneously threading the tackle, hoisting the gib, steering, cleaning out the bilge, and even appeared to be running some kind of experiment with the water's salinity.

"It has been _ages _since I've been able to take this old girl out for a spin! I remember when first we got the grant money for a research vessel, immediately afterwards the Vale Navy withdrew their coeducational cadet program and we were stuck with a boat but no crew! I had to learn how to sail all on my own if I wanted to conduct any sort of underwater archaeological research- of course, I had to learn how to scuba-dive first! – but recently all I've had the time for was simply maintaining this marvelous vessel. One weekend a month I'd have to go down to the docks to re-wax the deck, touch-up the paint, treat the upholstery and check the electrical to make sure nothing had degraded- now it seems it was all worth it!"

"At least somebody's excited…" Yang did not sound envious of the man's enthusiasm.

Truthfully, she could barely keep track of the blurred boatswain. Unfocussed, her gaze naturally drifted upwards from the deck. Somewhere up where the sails met sky was her partner, holed up in the crow's nest since first they embarked. Now that she knew the truth about Blake, it kind of made sense that she would seek out the highest, most isolated place on the entire boat.

"I wonder how we didn't see it before," Yang remarked, sounding remarkably depressed as she draped herself over the gunwale like a limp fish. "Blake being a Faunus, I mean."

Following her sister's thoughts as well as her gaze, Ruby knew what she meant.

"We had other things to worry about." Even being true, it didn't satisfy either of them.

"Yeah, but Blake's our teammate! We lived together! How could we be so distracted to _not _notice all the signs?" Not thinking again, Yang bit her lip afterwards as she realized that Blake could still probably hear them talking about her. "We're _friends_, we should have been paying more attention."

"…She told me something recently," Ruby confessed, "About how we only see what we want to. At the time, I thought she was talking about me and my… optimism. But I wonder if she wasn't surprised that we hadn't figured her out yet."

Ruby had never regretted choosing to see the best in people. But now, she cursed her stupidity which had caused her to overlook the suffering of a friend.

"_Somebody _knew," Yang sneered at her reflection in the surf, trying to eschew the blame onto it. The more she glared at the malformed mirror-image, the more she thought it all seemed familiar. "And you know, that also sounds like something _He _would say."

Both sisters cast a backwards glance towards the cabin. Atop of which, curled up like a cat himself and looking quite comfortable, lay the reason they were here.

* * *

"…_Wait… what now?" _

"_**Jeeze, Pipsqueak, I really didn't expect you of all people to be this **_**slow**_**." **_

"_No, no, I get the part about the holiday break, the mission," Ruby relisted, taking no offense at the casual insult, "But… why us?" _

"_**Unfortunately, you were a package deal." **__Jin swept the team of four with his eyes, right into the dustbin by Ozpin's desk. __**"I really only wanted the Kitty-Cat here." **_

"_Aaaannd you've lost me again." _

"_**Do you have cotton-candy for a brain or something, because-" **_

"_-Please," Nails digging into the edge of his desk as if he were struggling to cling on to sanity itself, Ozpin was seriously wondering why he decided to officiate this meeting. "Could we possibly just start over from the beginning?" _

"_**And how far back would you like me to go, gramps?" **__At that moment, Ozpin truly wanted nothing more than to go back before he'd first gotten that nostalgic urge to see his 'son' again. But if time-travel worked, he would have taken that option long ago. Now he just stared at Jin with a face as blank and unmoving as stone. __**"…*Sigh***_

"_**Menagerie: 5**__**th**__** largest landmass on Remnant with an area of approximately 3 million square kilometers, only about a tenth of which is inhabited with the rest remaining largely untouched because of the harsh conditions prevalent on the Eastern 2/3rds of the sub-continent; arid desert with sand dunes that could swallow skyscrapers. Apart from 'Dragon's Tongue Bay', there is no known safe harbor, as the South is besieged by the Antarctic storms, and the North coast is fed directly by the cooling tropical currents which would smash any ship straight onto the 50m sheer cliffs."**_

_Even as Jin recited what sounded like a textbook answer, he himself seemed like a kid the day before a trip to an amusement park, planning out the best possible routes to hit all the main attractions without any concern for his poor, beleaguered parents. _

"_**In addition to the lack of viable ports, the government suffers from broad trade restrictions and no CCT. While most of the Kingdoms have recognized Menagerie's all-Faunus administration, they are continually reluctant to conduct trade with the neophyte nation and cite the rise of extremist groups such as the White Fang as cause (even though these embargoes were in place well before the White Fang was radicalized). In reaction, Menagerie has avowed to scrutinize any and all traffic into their territorial waters, which hardly furthers their goal of human cooperation however…" **__In Jin's eyes they could practically see the reflection of his goal like the gates of the park in the car window as it came around the bend. __**"…All that makes it one of the BEST places to hide something big and potentially dangerous without the rest of the world knowing." **_

"…_There's a Tailed Beast on Menagerie?" It was fairly obvious once she'd said it. That being said, there was still something that she wasn't getting. "…Wait, you want us to go after it?!" _

"_**Feh, hardly." **__His scoff covered their collective sigh of relief. __**"No, I'll take care of the One-Tail. The only thing I need is an invitation. And a boat, I suppose." **_

"_So why can't you just sneak in like you always seem to?" _

"_Ruby, weren't you listening?" At first the captain wanted to protest that she had been. But there was a patience in Weiss's voice that made her want to listen further. "There's only one good way in and out of Menagerie, and it's tightly monitored. Either we need a smuggler good enough to hide __**Him**__, or else someone with a lot of political sway." _

"_Exactly," Ozpin took over, making them think that it was he who would be their benefactor. "I have already agreed to provide transport. Beacon has a boat, a small schooner that was donated ages ago and never put to much use. But as far as landing permission goes, that's where Ms. Belladonna comes in." _

"_Blake?" Ruby cocked her head, letting it rotate back around to her dark-haired teammate who was doing her best to blend in with the bookshelf farthest from the window. "What's she got to do with this?" _

_Rather than answer, Ozpin focused on their aloof teammate who felt farther away than ever before. It was clear he was waiting for her to speak up, though he might as well have expected one of the dusty tomes to crack open and start reading itself for all the good it would do. _

"_I take it you have not told your team yet, Ms. Belladonna." _

'_Surely you didn't forget your homework again,' and 'I told you not to be out past midnight, didn't I,' both carried the same inflection of accusation and disappointment. And though Ozpin wasn't directing it towards them, the other three couldn't help but feel a certain amount of chagrin and even some vicarious shame on behalf of their teammate. _

"_**Looks like I win our little wager, Oz-chan." **_

_While there was no indication the headmaster heard him gloat, Blake certainly did. Her head snapped up like a librarian's at the slightest hint of mischief. And marching forward, each step was a ruler slapping some respect into a delinquent who dared disobey the tenement of silence. _

_She stopped in front of the grinning Grimm, looking like she was going to claw his eyes out but not moving a muscle. Then suddenly she spun on her heel and with a move that left no time for regret, ripped off her bow and threw it to the floor. _

_They stared at her and she stared back, daring them to say something about her 'new' look. But her team was too stunned to retort. And in the background, Jin too smug to be sarcastic. So, unfortunately, responsibility came back to Blake._

"_My name is Blake Belladonna, daughter of Kali and Ghira Belladonna, the founder of the White Fang and current Chief of Menagerie!" _

* * *

Okay, maybe they weren't expected to see _that _coming.

But as far as Blake being a Cat Faunus…

"Jin gave us a lot of hints, didn't he?" The Grimm Man was anything but subtle- except when he was trying _not _to be. How were _they _supposed to know what 'Neko' meant? Blake was the bookworm!

On one hand, they wanted to blame the beastly man for everything. Certainly, it was his fault they were forced to give up their winter break for a mission to Menagerie. And they might even be mad that he kept them in the dark for so long,

But then they'd have to be upset with Blake, too. She had been given months to confess, their accord being finalized the day of the field trip to Forever Fall. 'Later' had dragged on for so long that they were forced to wonder if their teammate would have ever told them the truth.

"I understand why she did it." And though she'd never say it, Yang also understood why Jin hadn't said anything. For once he'd been in the right, declining to give out another's secret. But that didn't mean she had to like **either** fact. "…It still hurts, you know?"

"Yeah, I know," The sea was unfortunately empty of distraction, nothing to eschew the uncomfortable decision they'd have to make: who's fault was it? Jin's? Blake's? Theirs? "…But can't this be a good thing? We're still together, aren't we?"

"I think that's because we're all still in the same _boat_," Yang chuckled mirthlessly, not sharing in her sister's positive outlook. "But… maybe, yeah. By now we should be used to the fact we can't go backwards. I'm ready to give another shot at getting to know the 'real' Blake, the only issue then is…"

Yang whipped her hair towards the stern where Weiss lay on an expensive beach chair, pretending this was a luxury cruise.

Also, pretending that she didn't care one way or another. But the ones who'd gotten to know her saw how she backtracked to the safety of her 'princess' persona and resumed treating them all with cold indifference. When forced, the best thing she could say about Blake now was that: "it would help revise the public perception on the Schnee family's _tolerance _of Faunus". No one missed the way she forced 'tolerance', just like she forced herself to be on the same ship as their other teammate.

She was hurt. Prior to this, the Schnee princess had made it clear to them that she was reluctant to call what they had 'friendship'. However, it was also obvious to those that were looking, she was just starting to open up when-

"Weiss will come around." Ruby spoke with a confidence that could turn the ocean beneath their feet solid. "As you said: we're still in the same boat. We're still in this together."

"Mmm…" While she didn't want to burst her sister's- captain's- whoever Ruby was right now-'s bubble, Yang had her doubts.

However, it was true that they _were_ all there. Weiss didn't actually have to come along, but she'd cited fear of Jin as reason enough not to change anything. Even though the Grimm himself didn't seem to care past whatever cruel entertainment he derived from their drama. Speaking of which…

"Oi! Sleeping Ugly!" Rolling over on the rail, Yang cupped her hands over her mouth and shouted at the creature coiled up around the ship's main mast. "I know you're really awake and listening, so why don't you make yourself useful and tell us what kind of monsters we're in for!"

As sure as she was that her sister was insane, Ruby wasn't convinced that JIn had been feigning sleep. His body shuddered like the sea breeze buffeting their sail, and the Grimm actually appeared to be groggy when he finally managed to crack an eye and glare at them. Unlike the focused animosity they were used to, his gaze seemed almost fractured, iridescent with many other colors trying to invade his cornea.

"_**Besides **_**this one?" **His rhetorical grumble rattled the ship's planks and drove off the pod of dolphins that had been enjoying themselves by swimming along their side. **"Only the worst, most unreasonable, unrelenting, unconscionable creatures in existence." **

"Oooooh, I'm so frightened," Topped off with sarcasm and grinning like a shark, Yang no longer feared Jin's ire or even of being forced to swim should he wreck their ship in a tantrum. "_More _than one, are there? And what should we call these legendary monsters?"

Not answering right away, it seemed like he was buying himself time as he laboriously stretched out a single paw only to tuck it back underneath his chin and shut his eyes once more.

"… **Parents." **

* * *

"Blake!"

It was impossible for either party to maintain a somber air. Not when Blake's mother blitzed across the room the moment they had entered, enveloping her daughter in a hug so fierce it could have generated enough static electricity to light up the entire village of Kuo Kuana.

"Oh, My Little Girl, we missed you so much!"

Kali Belladonna was the mirror image of her child in every manner. And like Blake, it was just as disconcerting to see the depths of emotion overflow onto her classical good looks. But there wasn't a soul who failed to be moved by the woman's tears, and thus none dared interrupt their reunion.

Not Weiss, who was jealous of both the close familial bond as well as the aristocratic beauty who was Blake's mother. Not Ruby who wanted to 'Awwwwe' and cement this tender moment with a picture from her scroll. Not Yang who contented herself with a lopsided smile reminiscent of an 'I told you so'. Not Ooblek who wiped a professional tear from under his glasses. Not the manor's other guests who were noticeably annoyed by this interruption but smart enough to keep silent.

Not even Jin who'd been unusually quiet the entire voyage and was now beginning to creep them out (more than usual, anyway).

"Blake,"

Then there was Ghira Belladonna whose position of authority did not allow him to remain mute. He approached his wife and daughter solemnly, dour wrinkles marring an otherwise kindly face. With all that he knew about his wayward daughter's activities during her hiatus, he couldn't just welcome her back with open arms.

Just one arm, laying a soft paw on her shoulder.

"Welcome home."

As much as it hurt Blake to hear the reservation in his voice, she knew she deserved it.

And then, far worse was how she saw Jin's shadowy countenance in the face of her father's dark complexion, felt his cold claws in place of loving warmth, and being unable to repress a shiver.

"I suppose we'll leave you to your _family _business."

With Blake already fracturing the happy mood, Ghira's previous guests made for a clean break.

The two men dressed almost as monks glided by the Belladonnas on their way out, ignoring the antagonistic look Blake dogged them with. They moved towards the rest of the team with gazes glued piously to the floor, overlooking even the massive, vagabond-looking man who stepped aside to let them leave.

But then they both halted just short of the double doors which were opened as wide as their eyes. Facing Weiss, the lead man's tanned face contorted like clay on a potter's wheel. Shock at first, then a grotesque disgust, finally going slack and throwing themselves out while declining further comment.

"Ooookay. What was _that_?" Ruby asked without restraint, her question chasing the tails of the two's tabernacle.

"Oh, that's just Fennec and Corsac, the local White Fang representatives." While Ghira tried to sound casual, the chief knew it would take more to dismiss the outsider's concerns. "I know what you might be thinking, but they are harmless. The radical tendencies of others have no hold here. While we do have some that sympathize with our brethren's' plight in the rest of the Kingdoms, our citizens know how fragile our peace is and are not anxious to give it up."

All but ready to take the man's word for it, at the mention of peace Ruby thought she heard a scoff. Glancing around to see if she could tell, her gaze fell on the usual suspect. Jin had his arms folded and looked contemptuous, but this was nothing new. Narrowing her silver eyes into slits like scalpels, she was all set to dissect the darkness surrounding his face when the conversation took an abrupt turn and threw her off.

"Anyway, you lot must be Blake's team," Ghira greeted them jovially, a far cry from the seriousness they'd seen him with when first setting foot in the house. And most thought this look suited him better. "I wish I could say that I'd heard a lot about you, but I think the fact that you are here tells me enough about your character that I look forward to learning more."

"Hi! I'm Ruby, Ruby Rose!" Though hardly overwhelmed by his eloquence, the huntress did sport a small blush as she skipped forward to introduce herself and her team. "I'm the captain of team RWBY and Blake's teammate. This here's my sister, Yang. And this is-"

"Weiss," Taking the introduction into her own hands along with two fistfuls of her skirt, Weiss pushed past her captain and curtsied deeply in front of the Faunus Chieftain. "Weiss _Schnee_. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Being given her name like a challenge, Ghira simply smiled and strode forward until he was as close as he'd been with his own daughter. No longer intimidated by people who physically dwarfed her, Weiss didn't flinch at the bear of a man. At least, not until the Faunus held out his hands to her and begged her rise as equals.

"My dear girl, forgive me if I am being impertinent, but I don't believe you understand how much of a pleasure this is." Where others might have been afraid of calling out Weiss for her obvious lip service, Ghira embraced it. "While it could have been under better circumstances, I didn't believe I'd ever see a Schnee set foot on Menagerie within my lifetime- heck, my daughter's lifetime! Though in perspective it might seem somehow tainted, I count the time you spent together on her team as nothing short of a triumph. Real victories are never perfect, not immediately, anyway. It takes a great deal of effort to whittle away at their flaws and fix what is broken. That you are still by her side gives me immense hope for the future, not just of Menagerie but all of Remnant. So, thank you."

Weiss had spent much of the boat ride and a lot of time before that building up her wall against the world. To be suddenly met with no resistance though, there was nothing for her to push back against and she began to crumble right then and there.

Thankfully, Ooblek was observing, cocked and loaded, ready to interject some normalcy to the conversation. He shot forward and seized the Chief's hand, shaking the bejeezus out of it.

"Mr. Belladonna! My name is Doctor Ooblek, and can I just say that it is an absolute _honor_ to be given the opportunity to meet with you! As an avid historian I am unable to express how ecstatic I am to interact with an individual who has had so much influence over our modern era! While I will try not to take up too much of your undoubtably precious time, I hope that at some point during our visit I might induce you to share with me some of your _fascinating _personal story! Until then, I would be most grateful if you would grant me permission to observe and record aspects of your local culture. I believe there is much that science can learn by accepting the validity of other world outlooks!"

Though Ghira had proved thus far unflappable, anyone who met Ooblek for the first time would react just as he was now: wide-eyed as if they'd ingested the man's endless stockpile of coffee and slack-jawed as the Prof-_Doctor_ removed all their responses and analyzed them before they had a chance to be uttered.

"Um… likewise," Opting for a safe response, the Feline Faunus was suddenly overwhelmed by a feeling of dread. It was so potent and close that he physically paled and wondered how he missed it before. Blake's mother then also sensed it and she drew her daughter in close to her breast like the huntress was nothing more than a cub. "And… who might you be?"

Jin was like a weapon. Even with face hidden in shadows and claws sheathed into his shoddy robes, it was impossible to mistake him as anything but dangerous. Although, he was pointed off… elsewhere. Probably the same, distant place he'd found while on the boat.

"**Hm? Oh, me? Nobody important…" **Nobody was convinced by this. **Consider me the client, if you will. And you may call me Jin, though I doubt you will be seeing much of me." **

"Ghira Belladonna, and this is my wife, Kali. Jin, huh?" Not forgetting his own manners, the patriarch nonetheless questioned those of this shadowy person. "If I recall, that means 'Man' in one of the old tongues. Although, that's only when it's used in combination with other characters. So, is it short for something, or…?"

Short of calling him a liar, Ghira made no move to disguise his skepticism.

"**Jinchῡriki," **Gracing the man with his full title, in return, Ghira now had his full attention. **"-But Jin is less of a mouthful, isn't it?" **

"I have no problem pronouncing it," What the chief had a hard time swallowing was that he had missed this man at first, someone who had to stoop through their large doorway. Forgoing subtlety, Ghira moved in front of his family, for all the good his muscled girth would do. "-But as you wish, I will defer to your preference. However, _I_ prefer you take off your hat in my home. I know not where you come from, but it is common courtesy."

Rightfully judging him as something other than common, the leader had no way of knowing that Jin was well beyond his jurisdiction.

"**I am aware of this custom, however," **However surprised they were at his diplomacy, everyone could hear patience wearing thin. **"I am afraid what is beneath this covering is not a pleasant sight. And if the sight of my hat so offends you, I do not have to spend long under your roof. I come here to inform you of my mission, nothing more."**

"Ozpin did not inform me of any mission beyond bringing my daughter back home," Both parent and child frowned, the latter not liking the phrasing which made it seem like Menagerie was her final destination. "As the elected leader of Menagerie, I would have to review any such request to conduct business on my continent before giving permission. Why was I not informed?"

"**My task as well as my presence here are best kept between as few people as possible." **Matching the other man's tone of authority, this was clearly not a request or even an excuse. **"I'm hunting monsters."**

"We have our own personnel who are qualified to handle Grimm."

"**Not this one. Trust me." **Trust was a tall order. Still, there was something telling Ghira he would be better off just this once _not _trusting his instincts. **"-Or don't. Truthfully, I don't actually need your permission. The prey I hunt is somewhere in the Eastern Desert, well outside your consideration as 'chief'." **

Ghira bristled- but there was just so much about this innocuously simple statement that he couldn't identify which was the most troubling: the questioning of his authority, the presumptuousness that this person didn't need it, the claim that he could _survive _in the barren wastelands alone, or the off-chance that there was something out there that was so dangerous it required the utmost secrecy to prevent an epidemic of panic.

"-You're not taking my daughter with you anywhere."

"**Ha!" **Throwing his head back with a bark of laughter, Jin's contentious head-covering managed to hit the chandelier hanging above the foyer. **"No need to worry about that. She and the other kiddies have done their jobs by getting me this far. Better for all of us if they stay here, I still have to return them to Beacon in one piece or else my lease is up." **

Having his child's fate compared to a housing contract didn't instill the Chief with confidence. Liking even less the insinuation that this man was going to accompany her back to the other side of the world. Ghira was just about to raise a fuss when he felt someone touch his arm and call out,

"Father,"

He found Blake looking up at him, imploring with amber eyes that carried almost as much weariness as he'd bourn during his tenure as leader of the White Fang. No doubt, she would resist him trying to keep her here. But for now, she just wanted to rest, to catch up on time lost and to forget previous arguments- including the one with this obnoxious stranger.

"-I apologize," With the hand that wasn't occupied, Ghira massaged the lines of stress from his brow. "The meeting I had before this was not as lax as I would have liked to pretend, and I am a bit tired. I am sure you all are as well. Perhaps we should continue this conversation tomorrow?"

About to say, 'after dinner', Ghira had a feeling that talking any more about it would give him indigestion. He still wasn't comfortable saying what he was about to, but he had to be the bigger man in the situation (even though the ridiculously large stranger had almost a head up in this regard).

"I can offer everyone lodgings for at least the night, the house has more than enough room for a few guests."

Ghira didn't have a problem putting up most of them, and so he hardly paid attention to what the huntresses' and huntsman's answers were. Staring back, it seemed to most Jin didn't want to accept either.

But then the stranger nodded stiffly, nigh imperceptibly, and Ghira couldn't help an obvious sigh. Jin offered him slight consolation.

"**I do not require much in the way of hospitality, a place to stretch out and lay my head is enough, preferably outside. This will make it easier when I leave early in the morning. Apart from that, I need no food nor refreshment, so you need not concern yourself with my presence." **

Unsure if this was wise, let alone possible, Ghira looked towards his daughter who had at least spent an extended amount of time with this… man. She nodded almost as shallowly as he had, and her father once again was forced to sigh.

Lord, why didn't anyone tell him how hard it was caring for a child?

* * *

It was easy not to care.

All Jin had to do was step out of the room and slide the door shut, leaving everything behind.

Inside, the after-dinner conversation continued without him. If anything, they seemed to be more relaxed and at ease with his absence from the room. Which was fine, because he had darkness to keep him company, as always.

Then there was the _other _one waiting for him.

"**You're not bad," **He said, several minutes after settling down into seiza and closing his eyes as if he were meditating. With his narcissistic persona, it wouldn't have been hard to believe he was talking to himself. **"But with your natural advantage, 'not bad' is nothing to be proud of." **

"I should be the one saying that to you, it took you long enough to notice me," It was as if Jin had just given life's artist a cue and they started to paint another person in to be his conversation partner. A ruddy-haired woman materialized atop the wooden banister that ran around the second-story porch, freckles moved aside on her face to make way for a sneer. "Guess you're not a complete meathead. Still, I don't know what command's thinking, bringing in an outsider for something like this."

"**First off, I noticed you back before we even stepped off the dock. Reptiles don't like saltwater, do they?"** Jin was doing a very good impression of a monk, sitting there motionless and uncaring. Meanwhile the woman had involuntarily let a little bit of her control slip along with a flash of color. **"Second, your 'command' didn't have a choice in the matter. The decision went over their heads… and a few bodies." **

"You…" Purpling with rage (literally), the chameleon Faunus found her hands locked onto the railing which kept her from immediately trying to strangle the stranger. "For your sake, you better be lying."

"**Awe, what's the matter, can't handle the thought of a little blood? No wonder they commissioned me, everyone on this island is so disgustingly **_**weak.**_**" **

"The peace we have here is the White Fang's ultimate goal, we're the ones that have to defend it-"

"**While the rest of your kind continue to suffer under the Kingdoms' yolk? Menagerie might be a cage, but its bars go both ways. What **_**right **_**do you have to sit here safe? Others are dying and you're afraid to get a little blood on your hands for the 'cause'. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's a hypocrite." **

"'Your kind'? You talk as if you're not even Faunus yourself…" A ludicrous thought. The higherups were already livid that there were four humans on the island, they never would have condoned a fifth let alone sanctioned him. Yet, there was something… off about him. "In any case, you're not from around here, so it doesn't matter to you. But you can't ask us to kill someone who we've known since we were children. He practically raised us."

"**So?" **She stared at the man, strangely calm and callous even though she could sense he meant every word. **"That's why **_**your kind**_** is still treated like dogs, you're afraid to do what's necessary to get what you want." **

She leapt at him. Ilia wasn't going to kill him, probably. Just maiming him, wrapping her electrified whip around his neck would be all that was necessary to knock the man off his high horse and show him she could fight. Although, Adam would still be furious with her either way.

But on the other hand, if she managed to stop the man from completing his mission, Ilia might just be able to live with herself afterwards.

If she survived now, that is.

The man stood up, showing that there was no horse or anything else making him seem more massive than he really was. He was gigantic- powerful. Ilia didn't need to get any closer to feel his strength, because he was already choking her with a tail that had shot out from underneath his robes and was holding her aloft over the edge.

"**I, on the other hand, am willing to do whatever it takes… and some things just for fun."**

Some people claim asphyxiating people actually turned blue from the lack of fresh oxygen in their blood. They also say that the moment before death, your entire life flashed before your eyes.

Ilia had far more colors at her disposal, and far fewer memories she'd care to recall. While going through the five stages of grief in about five seconds, she turned more shades than a gobstopper as it was sucked away by a hypoglycemic. Waiting for the crunch of her spine breaking, the only thing she reliably saw was the face of her best friend and crush. Ilia's skin turned as black as her love's hair, right before her entire world did.

Then the pressure around her throat ceased and Ilia dropped, but she'd no chance to regain her breath as the wooden rail punched her in the chest. She scrambled to get a grip before she fell any further, her hands empty as her head, not sure when exactly she'd let go of her weapon.

Too weak to pull herself back up, she was trying and failing to keep from slipping when what felt like an elephant stomped onto her arm and held her there. Behind the pain, she was relieved not to be in immediate danger.

"**I'd suggest you not attempt something stupid like that again."**

Although, that was subjective. At least the man-monster-malefactor- whatever he was, let her catch her breath after he caught her. Eventually, he let her claw her way up and flop onto the deck.

From her position on the freshly waxed planks, Ilia could hear the sounds of festivities going on inside the house. Somehow, they hadn't heard the ruckus… wouldn't have cared if she died.

"…Why?"

It was clear that the man could have killed her. She was supposed to be his handler, someone who could control his actions. But she was just another body that he had to step over- hardly even in his way. So… why didn't he?

"**Just for fun." **

She looked hazily up at his big, toothy smile, not registering the sight for the longest time.

"…What _are _you?"

Having to ask, she also probably should have been more scared of the answer. But that near-death euphoria erased all inhibitions. If she ever got another chance, she'd tell her friend just how much she loved-

"**Wanna know what your problem is?" **Asking instead of answering, Ilia had no room to complain as he was kneeling over her. **"You **_**care**_**. It's written on your face and in every step you take. It's what gave you away on the docks. It's why you will always lose, and why you will never be satisfied."**

"I know…" With the gates of Janus already open, everything else came spilling out of Ilia's mouth: her doubts about this man, his mission, her career of criminality with the White Fang. "…What we're doing is wrong."

"**Is it?"** Demon or divinity, he had more of a right to question the morals of the universe than she. **"Is that what you truly believe, or are you afraid of what others might think of you? -Rather, what **_**she **_**would think of you?"**

It was rock bottom that dropped out beneath her now and Ilia shot upwards- tried to, but the creature pinned her there with only a pinky.

"**The entire time you were following us, you weren't looking at me, or the target, but **_**her**_**." **

"If you hurt her-!" Ilia grabbed a fistful of his rotten robes and tried to hoist herself up towards him. It was like scrambling up a hill of sand, and she kept tearing off pieces of cloth in order to pull herself up. She didn't care about the claw burrowing into her shoulder or her shouts that should have woken the entire house- if not the dead. "I'll _kill you!_"

"**Ha, ha! I believe it, now." **Not believing it herself, he released her and stood up unfazed.

Standing up shortly after and using the banister as a brace, the White Fang assassin looked at the creature her commanders had hired to take out Ghira Belladonna. How they managed to… no, they obviously couldn't control him, just like Ilia could no longer control her feelings of guilt. There was no way she could just sit still and let him follow through! - So, where were they supposed to go from here?

"**Is it not better to murder an infant in its cradle than nurse unsatisfied desire? *" **If he was talking to himself, it might have been a literal question. But he was looking off into the distance as she'd seen him do. **"You're welcome to try and kill me again. However… wouldn't you rather you do something you won't regret?" **

Nothing. Ilia could do nothing. Couldn't kill this monster. Couldn't go through with the mission she'd been given. Couldn't even confess to Blake how she really felt. None of it without an unbearable amount of remorse.

"**Then… you will tell your superiors their trained tiger knows his routine." **

Tight-mouthed and green in the face, she would be the messenger. Leaving with far less grace than she'd arrived, Ilia would be grateful to simply make it back to her drop-off point in one piece.

Oh, if only that were true. There was no such thing as a tame tiger. And if she didn't do anything, this guilt would kill her as surely as that wild beast would. Damned if she did, damned if she didn't. The only thing that was clear to her was that she wasn't going to get any sleep that night.

She wasn't alone.

Settling back down on his laurels like nothing had happened, Jin canceled the illusion which hid them from the rest of the compound. The made-up sounds coming from inside abruptly cut off, the raucous laughter and delighted shrieks which irked him so gave way to the calm of night.

Why did he do this to himself?

Jin sighed with the cicadas of the southern hemisphere, groaned like the house's foundation.

It was easy not to care.

It was hard to keep pretending he didn't.

* * *

"How are you doing, Honey?"

Things could be worse. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, she hadn't been expelled from Beacon (yet), and best of all, Jin had disappeared after dinner. He must have left sometime during the wee hours, because they hadn't seen him since.

Things could also be better (though Blake didn't rightfully know how).

"Fine."

"I see,"

At the same time, Ghira was seeing to his duty as chief, giving as much attention to the fishmonger's bad back and the news of triplets to a bear of a baker who looked like he desperately needed to hibernate.

The one thing that did surprise Blake (as much as anything could at that point) was how many people recognized her as well, the kid who used to be barely visible behind her father's feet. And all of them welcomed her back as if not a day had gone by.

But the truth was that it had been a very long time.

"And how are things with your team?"

_That _was a loaded question- cocked and pressed up against her head, forcing Blake to turn around and see for herself.

All three were following a few steps behind them, accompanying the Ruler on his morning rounds. Unsurprisingly, Ruby was the first to get over Blake's 'betrayal'. Also, getting over her seaside depression like a common cold. Now she was simultaneously working her innocent charm on every child they passed by in the street, and zipping side to side across said street to drool over local bonbons and hand-tooled blades. With the market's ample supply of both, she could keep going all day.

So could Yang. Indiscriminate in her flirtations, she was chatting it up with two cargo-haulers who had removed their shirts in the tropical heat. Speaking the language of bodies, Yang was right at home in Faunus society. A foxy whistle, a snaky smile, a pufferfish pout, Yang gave a new meaning to the phrase 'lip-service'. But that's all it was. Blake could see that her partner was forcing herself to go through the motions.

And speaking of forced…

Weiss looked like she was trying to keep her dignity whilst being walked up the gallows. But the looks she was garnering in turn weren't hostile. Rather, they ogled the Northern native like an exotic bird- like a 'Schnee' was just another name for an Egret. The only thing the white-plumed girl was in danger of was becoming a novelty. And at the risk of frightening the flighty creature, Ruby was none-too-subtly nudging some awed children her way.

But rather than deal with the little looky-loos, Weiss glanced her direction. She saw Blake staring at her, and both averted their eyes.

"Fine."

"-Or at least, it will be, right?" She and her father had stopped, hardly out of the middle of the street. Harried citizens focused on nothing else but keeping society running still somehow knew to avoid them. "Your team cares about you, you know that."

It was not a question. But there was still the first one, standing as obtrusively as they were: would they be alright?

"-I don't really want to talk about it."

Being of few words himself, Ghira nodded. There would be time later, hopefully. Right now…

"Then perhaps you'd like to talk about that man, Jin." Blake bristled. Not that she hadn't seen this coming, but it was simply a knee-jerk reaction. "I'm sorry, but I have to ask."

"Yeah," Determined, however, not to linger on it, Blake drifted over to a jeweler's stand and pretended to browse. She tried to find interest in tin trinkets which masqueraded as silver, depressing things which already looked half-melted in the heat. She never cared much for jewelry in any case- yet the gemstones kept catching her eyes. A pair of aquamarine earrings arrayed on crimson velvet staring at her. "-But there's not much I can tell you."

"Can't, or won't?"

Blake was able to detach herself from the uncannily self-aware wares, finding a shady wall to lean against out of the way.

"It's okay if you can't." Joining his daughter, the two shared the coolness like they were two delinquents skipping out on class. "Ozpin apparently saw fit to keep me in the dark too, so I would understand if you were under orders not to say anything."

Was that the reason? Blake didn't believe it any more than her father's indifference. She was already a traitor to the White Fang and feeling like trash for lying to her team. What did she owe Ozpin that would get her to turn her back on family? Wanting nothing more at the moment than to go home, be held in her father's arms like a newborn babe and confess everything, Blake wondered:

Why not?

"Dad…what do you know about the Tailed Beasts?"

Blake didn't believe in coincidence. But she trusted that her father's twitch, the slight paling in his face as if he'd seen a ghost (probably how he looked when he received the message that she was alive and coming home after all that time), was indicative of something other than senility. In fact, her father was never so sharp as he looked at her- stared at the _team of_ _four _gathered off to the side of the road- that Blake felt like she was back in the White Fang and about to receive the most important orders of her life.

"Ladies, how would you like to go on a picnic?"

* * *

"It was only discovered about six months ago," It was like they were rediscovering it now. There was no village of white-walled tents around it, no signs demarcating its historical importance, no chain-link fence or even flimsy plastic tape- heck, not even a bloody warning cone to keep people from stumbling in! Though to be fair, someone _had_ put in the minimal effort and moved the piles of excavated dirt away from the entrance. "And apart from a few local 'hobbyist historians', no one has been here since. Of course, we sent out notices to all the other Kingdoms, inviting them to send some professional research teams."

"-But no one wanted to risk resources on a 'Faunus' cultural artifact," Blake presumed, staring pessimistically at the entrance which even to her looked little more than a rabbit hole in the side of the mountain overlooking Kuo Kuana. "Never mind that it could have significant historical value to all of Remnant."

"That, and our lack of a CCT means that it has gotten virtually no publicity outside of Menagerie." No public trails lead up to it, and they'd spent an hour hoofing their way up scree only to almost trip right into the vertical shaft. "-Which in this case, might turn out to be a good thing."

"Oh, just wait. As soon as Ooblek gets a whiff of this, he'll find a way to mention it in every lesson from now on." Leaning over the open hole, Yang grinned down into the darkness and imagined the man's face when he found out. Considering how he'd gone gaga over an arrowhead one student had brought to class, he would pop his top if told he could go down into an untouched archaeological site. His frizzy hair might even straighten itself! "I'm kind of surprised he's not here, actually."

"Are you, though?" Sarcastic more than confrontational, it was the first thing Weiss had said apart from indiscernible grumbling about the dust and heat. It was an improvement. "You know where he probably is. I doubt Ozpin sent him solely to pilot the boat or babysit _us_."

"Heh, that's true." Yang chuckled, thinking of the overgrown Grimm-Man-Child. "Heck, I doubt Oz would even need to ask. The way Doc' was looking at him on the ship was like he wanted to dissect him."

"We could only be so lucky."

"Hey! What are we waiting for?" Ruby cringed as she clapped her hands, the echo off the bottom coming back and slapping her in the face. She was anxious to keep their momentum going so no one stopped and started to question why they were once again all talking.

"Yeah! Ain't no signs saying: 'don't open 'til doomsday' or anything!"

With one foot already halfway into the blackness, Blake looked back up at her partner and scowled.

"Yang… please don't jinx us."

Blake didn't believe in coincidence… which didn't mean she couldn't cover her bases.

But as it turned out, the descent wasn't that hard. There was no doubt Ghira was Blake's dad as the large man navigated the ancient passageway as lithely as a panther. Blake herself was able to slip through the sharp turns like overcooked pasta through a strainer. Unusually, it was Weiss **and** Ruby who turned out to be a problem. Both partners had their skirts catch on crags on the way down and tear rather embarrassingly. Though to her credit, Weiss didn't complain… any more than usual.

In fact, there was hardly any conversation at all. Half because they were concentrating too much on where they were stepping, and half because it felt somehow… sacrilegious to hold idle chatter in this place which had remained untouched for centuries. It felt like a crypt.

Actually, Ghira hadn't been able to tell them what the structure was for (confessing that he hadn't made the journey himself, though one might think otherwise based on his surefootedness), or even specifically what awaited them at the end.

But they would know soon enough.

"Woah…"

And even when they finally arrived at the bottom, this was all that was said. Everyone but Ruby was trying to find their orientation what felt like tens of stories underground, surrounded by unbalanced scribbles.

Really, the décor was less sacred than a haphazard scrawl. Sentences in unknown and mismatched writing writhed their way around the chamber walls like snakes. They even strayed onto the ceiling without a care for corners or other authors that came before. It was bizarre, like someone or several someones had tried to jot down everything they could recall about a particular event before… whatever happened to them. Based on the frantic strokes and nigh-illegible penmanship, it probably wasn't pretty.

Unlike the tableau on the far wall.

Even in the dim light it drew all five pairs of eyes the same way it did the writing, chicken scratch winding its way around the fresco like a black hole- Except that the image itself seemed almost illuminated from within, original pigments somehow surviving all this time and just as bright as the day they dried.

And just as beautiful, even in the green-biased light of their scrolls.

Although, none of them were art critiques, and so couldn't say why they liked it. They'd all seen this picture before, so many times in fact that it had become kitsch. It was the type of scene slapped on holiday cards and, as Blake had presence of mind to recall, in the chapel at Beacon.

The Two Brothers.

It was them and yet… not them. Not quite how they'd ever been shown, _too_ lifelike with their 3D plaster paints making them almost jump out of the wall the same way they were poised to leap at one another. The chamber had even managed to capture the smell: burned ozone and scorched earth.

The landscape behind the Gods was desolate, even as a massive tree sprouted behind the figure bathed in light. This must have been the Good Brother, who still had hair black as a raven's and was dressed in an imposing suit of crimson armor. He at least looked regal enough to be the hero. The only other option was a rabid figure crowded at the opposite edge of the frame- the Dark Brother, whose hair was a besmirched gold, and brightly colored clothes practically tearing off his hunched shoulders.

Both ageless beings were flanked by their armies. Surrounding the Light was a legion of white, identical men with hair the color of leaves. And cast off to darkness, creeping around the feet of the snarling figure in the corner were-

"The Tailed Beasts," Ruby gasped and nearly dropped her Scroll. So lifelike were the depictions that it might have been a photo rather than a painting.

Whoever the artist was must have actually _been _there, or else worked closely with someone who had. How else could they have captured the Five Tail's likeness?

"That's him alright," Yang whispered as if she might draw the drawing's attention.

"The question is: who are _they_?" Weiss threw her Scroll's flashlight on the two humanoid characters who glared at her in response. "That doesn't look like the Brothers in the stories _I _remember."

"Indra and Asura," It was crowded in that underground chamber, and Ghira was careful not to disturb any of the inscriptions as he sat down with legs crossed. Sighing, it sounded as if the Chief had crossed the eastern desert. He wetted his chapped lips which were as rough as his tongue, rough as his voice as he recounted the tail: "That's what I've always heard them called, at least. Legends say they went through many incarnations and names. For the longest time I thought that was a metaphor, but now…"

"How come I never heard about this growing up?" Now Blake began to feel like something had been kept from her… it wasn't nice.

"They were just stories," Surrendering and raising his arms, in that cramped spot the large man had backed himself into it became a shrug. "I _thought _they were. Plus, I didn't exactly have time for a battle that might or might not have happened. The entire time you were a kid we were fighting a _real _battle, for the rights of our people."

"Excuse me, Sir, but then, if you don't know the stories… how do you know their names?" Not eager to remind the former White Fang leader about her family's part in said fight, Weiss's curiosity was nevertheless getting the better of her.

"While the humans passed down the Brothers' tale through word of mouth, our ancestors kept meticulous records supposedly dating back thousands of years." Unintentionally shutting the girl up, Weiss averted her eyes from both the Faunus and the Frieze. But turning around in that small space, she nearly ran into Blake. The two froze to stare at each other in that waxen light. "I understand that's how our experts were able to decipher some of these writings here, by correlating it with the copies from the archives. And to answer your question,"

Ghira turned to Weiss who suddenly wasn't nearly so eager to be answered. She wrapped her arms around herself in chagrin- or maybe just to ward off the cold and stagnant air.

"Faunus have always seen the story of the Brothers as true. History, not myth. That was just another thing for the humans to hold over us in contempt, calling us superstitious while teaching their children the tale as a moral lesson. What's more… I agreed with them. It was Blake's mother who made sure she even had the basics of our cultural legacy. We'd both heard the same stories growing up, but I never put much stock in things I couldn't touch with _my own hands_."

The four teens were made to remember that it wasn't long ago in which freedom for Faunus meant literally being out of cages. And as Ghira stared at the white of his wrists, they realized how uncomfortable the large man might be in such a compact space.

"But you say…" Ghira began with what sounded like disbelief, "You girls _fought _one of these creatures?"

"Believe it!" Cringing again as her voice rent the calm like nails on a chalkboard, Ruby was made aware of another uncomfortable feeling tingling at the back of her neck. Déjà vu. Huh. "Weeeeelll, not really."

"It was more like we were just tryin' to survive." Though she desperately wanted to punch something, Yang settled for glaring down at the Tailed Beast caricatures. They were so small now, if only she could stomp them. "_Jin's _the one who took 'em out, like they're cheap dates just looking for a one-night stand."

"…What kind of man _is _he?" Ghira asked, far more stunned with the revelation than the raunchy analogy.

"No. Dad… Weiss, you're both wrong." And with the second address, everyone knew just how sure Blake was of this. She joined her partner in staring at the painting. "The question is _which_."

"You get two guesses, and the first one doesn't count." While Yang was still staring at the figure surrounded by the Tailed Beasts, something caught her eye at the other end of the canvas. "… Uh, guys. Does- uh- do that guy's eyes look familiar to you?"

There was no such thing as personal space as the entire team crowded around that one square centimeter. Practically pressing their noses up to it, they scrutinized the supposedly heroic figure's face. No doubt, the artist had faithfully rendered every single detail.

Including the black and red kaleidoscope eyes.

"W-well," Yang stumbled, "This complicates things, huh?"

Then the whole mountain shook and they all stumbled, falling face-first into the fresco and tripping over teammates who couldn't identify one limb from another.

"What was that?!" An aftershock answered Weiss.

"Everybody out- NOW!"

Ghira roared, reminding them of the Chief and the creature inside his blood. The team had no choice nor desire but to obey, darting as quickly as they could to the passageway and practically throwing themselves down it.

All except for Blake who reserved a backwards glance for the picture, and to curse herself for not taking any pictures of her own. The cavern felt like it was about to collapse, and if it did, this would all be lost. Maybe someone had made copies of the writings, but they would be the last to lay eyes on the painting. In that brief window of time she tried to commit every detail of the image to memory.

"Blake, what are you doing?! Go!" But it was her father who would be the last one out, refusing to leave anyone behind. A true leader, following only after he shoved his daughter through the crumbling doorway.

Though they made it to the surface in record time, it still felt longer than the way down because every step was made more difficult by the earth shaking and a sense of urgency screaming in their ears louder than the rocks grinding against one another.

To suddenly be thrust back into the heat and sun of the day after an age in darkness was staggering- but they still managed to trip their way out, halfway rolling down the hill in their momentum.

"Come on, dad!"

But Blake's father wasn't in the same kind of shape as his daughter or the other huntresses in training. His breathing was labored, the outside humidity mixing in with clouds of dust and crowding his lungs. Pebbles were nipping at his heels like spiders. Then a larger rock managed to bite down on his ankle, just shy of the exit and stopped him from breaching the surface.

"Grrragh! -Go! Blake, just go!"

"Hell nah!" It was Yang who answered, scrambling back up and snagging one of Ghira's outstretched hands as she leaned back into the gaping maw of earth. "We aren't just going to abandon you! Now grit your teeth, this might hurt!"

Like a fox with its foot caught in a trap, Ghira bit down and prepared for the cost of being set free.

It never came. Instead, there was a massive impact directly atop where the underground chamber would have been. Like a bunker-buster, it burrowed deep into the hillside above their heads. The earth bellowed and the cave system suddenly had all the air forced from it with only one direction to go. The resultant air pressure popped Ghira out like a cork, taking his daughter and her partner with him.

"Are you all alright?" Walking had become easier with the tremors coming more infrequently now, and Weiss was able to make her way to where Blake and the others had landed. "Wait- where's Ruby?!"

"I'm over here!" Their captain cried, digging her way from the pile of dirt she'd settled in and working her way towards her teammates. "Don't worry, I'm oka- oooooohhhhh…."

As Ruby's voice trailed despondently downwards, the rest of them followed her gaze uphill.

They should have seen it coming.

Now it had arrived, on lurching footfalls which shook the earth, with a colossal profile that eclipsed the afternoon sun, and a growl that gave the team flashbacks to half a year ago.

"It can't be…" Even until that point, Ghira couldn't comprehend the reality of such a creature. Not even his daughter and her teammates' word that such a thing existed could have prepared him to come face to face with the behemoth. "Is that… what I think it is?"

"…**Shukaku," **

The only thing that could have gotten them to turn their attentions away from the monster was another one rising from the impact crater in front of them. Jin clawed his way from the rubble, his skeletal face sticking out first like some undead gopher with a grudge.

Ghira jumped in front of the teens, nearly toppling on his tender ankle but ensuring that his body would be between them and this latest threat. The newly arrived Grimm gave no mind, excavating the rest of his limbs and ignoring the hulking creature on the crest of the hill above them.

When he stood, Jin was no more stable on his feet that the rest of them. The revenant's flesh was ravaged, his skeletal armor almost as cracked as the ground he arose from. Cuts were clotted with dirt and one of his tails seemed to have a kink in it.

Finally appearing to notice them, he broke into a smile that showed his domino teeth- black blood covering most of the white fangs. It was far scarier than they would like to admit- more worrisome than ever before to see this demi-god so wounded.

"**Hey there ladies, Chief. Long time no see."**

* * *

***I know this quote seems a bit of a non sequitur, but what it means is that it is better to live a desire for even just a while, than to continue living a life of dispassion. And plus… it's from William **_**Blake**_

**And just because I keep forgetting, someone nailed the title of the last chapter (If you haven't seen it yet, I think 'Life of Brian' along with every other Monty Python movie is mandatory viewing). **

**Anyway, this one is named after a song on "the Who's" album: Quadrophenia (again, another classic that everybody should listen to)  
**


	13. No More Stones to Throw

**If you haven't read the previous chapter, GO BACK! **

**Anyway, here it is, as promised! I hope it meets or exceeds expectations. And if you're feeling sick to your stomach, angry, offended, or otherwise violated- well, that just means I'm doing my job right (looking at you, guest ;) )  
**

* * *

"**You know, it's almost refreshing, not to have someone who thinks they can sneak up on me."**

Night had not yet lifted; the air was still cool and heavy with salt, spilling over the mountain's far side to tease the parched desert landscape. Come the next few hours, this hope of refreshment would evaporate along with the sun, much like the clouds of steam rising from Oobleck's open thermos.

"…**Almost." **

"Yes, well," Scribbling away in a notebook, the professor's pen was moving over the pages like the arm of a seismograph predicting a magnitude 9. "While natural behaviors are best studied without the subject knowing it is being observed, the years I have spent with the hyper-intelligent Goliath Grimm has taught me something," He stood, shrugged his shoulders to let the backpack straps settle on to his frame which was as boney as his 'subject's'. "Sometimes it is simply better to wait. Shall we?"

"**Hmph," **And observing the scientific man in turn, Jin considered what sort of notes were being captured in those pages. **"It's been a while now… how well would you say you know me, Doc?" **

"As a man of science, that answer is always: never as much as I would like."

"**Heh, and that's why I **_**almost **_**like you, Doc." **In addition, there was the fact that the long-legged man could keep up at his normal pace without complaint. Not complaining now, minutes would go by without the man saying a word. Oobleck's mouth was either on or off, but he was always thinking, analyzing. **"Given that… I probably already know the answer, but are you sure you still want to tag along? You wouldn't have to worry about Oz, I'm willing to bitch at him about how you wouldn't leave me alone. I can even bring you back a souvenir to study when I'm all done." **

"Impossible! The acquisition of knowledge is never without risk!" Sounding scandalized, Oobleck then halted his scribbling and carefully tucked away what he had recorded so far. He was oddly tranquil as he took a sip from his still steaming thermos. "Clearly, there is nothing I can do to stop you from acquiring another Tailed Beast. But it is my solemn duty- no, the _least _I can do to witness its destruction. In any case, I don't think I could live with myself if I didn't."

"**It's just a Grimm, Doc, don't get so worked up over it." **Jin's clawed toes curled into the sand, tearing up a chunk with his next step. **"You know, Grimm: Monsters of the Darkness. Mindless, Murderous, **_**Evil**_**. Or have you forgotten they're trying to kill you?" **

"If that's the case, we seem to be going quite far out of our way for a confrontation." Oobleck skipped over the newly made sinkhole, purposefully shirking the glare sent back at him. "Additionally, you should know I have trouble putting my 'faith' in something as abstract as 'good' and 'evil'. Light can be quantified- measured! -and darkness is just comparatively less light. Death can be expressed as numbers… but not so grief.

"Likewise, what will this unique being's death bring? It might very well be a construct of the Dark Brother- or not. Regardless, it is a creation, beyond mortal abilities to replicate and perhaps even to comprehend. But if we do not try, that would be terribly irresponsible- dare I say, immoral. If ever there was such a thing, evil would be the lack of good, the wasting of one's free will."

There was an absence of talk that seemed as endless as the sand in front of them. Spontaneous in his conversation as well as his silence, Oobleck seemed perfectly content to stew on his own hypothesis as he marched spritely up the dunes. Jin was ponderous, no longer so anxious to reach his conclusion.

"**Where we're headed is a wasteland, lacking in everything that you humans need to survive. I'll be honest, finding the One-Tail could take days, weeks- if it gets to months, I might just have to glass this entire continent. Regardless, you'll die of dehydration well before then."**

"While I am certain your concern has nothing to do with my own personal comfort, I will assure you that I am perfectly capable of surviving in such hostile conditions. I have read several extensive books on the subject."

Admonishing the adult with a single raised eyebrow, both of Jin's eyes widened marginally when Oobleck abruptly plunged his harpoon- like hand into the sand which still contained the night's cool. It also contained a fat scorpion, which he plucked from the earth and held by its tail in front of his face.

"Ah, the Camel Scorpion, _Camelus Scorpiones_, renowned for its adaptive tunneling abilities- not so much it's venom." Still, he kept the engorged stinger away from his inquisitive face. "It does this with shovel-shaped claws, burrowing relatively deep into the earth during daytime and migrating lower as the day goes on. It maintains its body temperature with specialty sacs wrapped around its organs which contain water enhanced with natural electrolytes, thus making it an ideal source for both protein and that most precious of all desert commodities: liquid."

Unsatisfied with the academic explanation, Oobleck had no other choice than to demonstrate his commitment to science.

He ate it.

Careful to avoid the infamous claws, he lowered the arachnid into his open mouth like an especially unruly forkful of noodles. But the crunch it made when he bit down on it was far more unappetizing than _al dente._

"…**Not that great, is it?" **

Still with the tail pinched between his fingers like a cherry stem, Oobleck chewed on it a bit with a face that looked like he was trying to discern the exact composition.

Then the man retched, spat it out, masticated chunks flying just underneath the brim of Jin's hat as the Grimm threw it back in a laugh.

"**Hahahaha! For a smart guy, you sure look dumb!" **As the man of science mumbled something about a calculated risk, Jin took a rare moment of commiseration and patted them man heartily on the back to help him clear the chunks of arachnid. **"Heh, heh, heh, not like I can really bitch about that too much. We both need to learn about biting off more than we can chew."**

It was with his hand still on Oobleck's back that Jin jumped skyward, dragging the gagging man with him. They just barely avoided two jaws like the portcullises of a life-sized sandcastle clamping down on where they had been.

Before they landed, the rest of the living fortress rose up from the dunes. Armored scales sat heavy and impenetrable like crenulations atop stone walls. The arms were ramparts ready to ensnare them, while the drawbridge tongue lolled openly from the mouth they had almost walked right into.

"**Shukaku… didn't mommy ever teach you to chew with your mouth closed?" **Pots of boiling oil stared dumbly down at him, rivulets of sand dribbling from its slacked jaws like drool. There was no intelligence there- though also, none of the insanity the beast was renown for. **"…Hard to say if he looks dumber like this."**

"Regardless, that apparently wasn't too hard," Oobleck said, dusting himself off.

"**Hard part starts now. Might want to run, Doc." **

"I believe you are correct."

Giving the good doctor a head start, Jin hurled him over to the far side of a dune. He turned back just in time to skip over the beast's tail which lashed out at him like jump-rope. On the way down Jin's robes came undone, allowing the five tails to flail on their own. They swatted away a salvo of earthen bullets launched from the Beast's elemental body, before they twisted and gyroscoped Jin through the fingers of several sandy claws that shot up from the ground. The groping hands might as well have been trying to restrain the morning fog as the smaller Grimm slipped from their clutches, clawing them to pieces on his way past.

"_**Someone's **_**eager. Personally, I think it's nice that you came all this way to greet us. Although, on the other **_**hand**_**…" **Alighting on a nearby dune, Jin was already on the move when another salvo of sand bullets tore through the trailing end of his robe. **"…I know that's not your real body!" **

Like a bullet himself, the smaller beast shot at the Grimm-shaped Golem. He ricocheted off the rotund yet rock-hard belly, bouncing away and flying over to where he'd tossed Oobleck.

In the process of cleaning off his glasses, the professor looked up. Against the bluing morning sky the Grimm descended upon him, Jin's billowing robes looking like the leathery wings of a vulture. Not needing a clear image to picture the danger, Oobleck dove away and let the Monster-Man fall into his footprints.

"What the devil-?"

"**Eyes open, Doc, the big one's just a distraction. Now, where are you…?"** As if his formal travel partner had suddenly become translucent, Jin scanned the undulating landscape and checked for underground movement. Suddenly, a dozen man-sized tanuki like prairie dogs popped up and converged on the two of them. **"Tch, **_**Useless…" **_

Unamused with the cannon fodder, Jin flexed his claws and tore them down into nothing but individual grains which rained on his shoulders. Standing, he looked back in rancor at the giant, lumber racoon.

"**Not going to face me yourself? Coward," **Jin spat, showing his contempt within that wasted bit of fluid. **"… Although, you know what they say about people in glass houses…" **

Sucking in a deep breath, Jin looked like he was going to say something more. Meanwhile, the Shukaku made from sand lifted its arms high above them so that the rising sun illuminated its knuckles like a torch.

Like the fire growing in the Five-Tail's chest.

Blue as the predawn sky and bright as the sun still hiding behind the horizon, Jin breathed out a torrent of flames which instantly turned the Giant's claws into glass.

With the crystalline arms still coming down, Jin leapt up, skated off the appendages as easily as if they were ice. His nails dragged against the glassy surface, sounding like a screech of pain from the Sand-Shukaku who remained dumb. Instead, the mindless beast tore at him like Jin was nothing more than a flea, the smaller Grimm flying through the snapping jaws yet again and kicking out a few teeth on his way through.

Then airborne, Jin looked down at the massive beast's bust. He couldn't help but liken it to the gigantic stone faces which overlooked Konoha.

The battle then became a vendetta rather than an annoyance, and he lobbed several more attacks at its despicable visage. Flowers of flame sprouted on the desert-dweller's head, baking it so that it resembled ancient pottery. Jin struck it with all the intent of destroying the past, the familiar face crumbling around his fist.

"**Now, where's the real-?!"**

One moment he was looking at a broken shell, the next it was the flesh and bone skull of Shukaku crashing through the shards and violently headbutting him- much as _that boy _had done to its host, so long ago.

Jin was thrown through a dune, then another on his downward journey. The sand appeared to part as water, but it felt more like ice as Jin was chiseled in deep.

"**Not- *Pethew!*- not bad," **Dragging himself from the ground, the Grimm-Man spat out a mouthful of grit and shook himself like a dog to dislodge the sand in his joints. Though it seemed like a compliment, he sounded anything but appreciative of the blast from the past. **"You still have the instinct to create a body shield, even when you have no host to protect.**

"…**But I hate to break it to you, I'm **_**much **_**stronger than that pathetic little kid who couldn't perform a simple jutsu." **

His claws moved faster than those of a horned lizard fleeing from a coyote, running through complex seals as the now-exposed Tailed Beast blitzed towards him. Unlike the Nibi's fire which sprung to life like the first rays of the sun, he needed to concentrate for this. Search deep both in and outside of himself and-

Nothing.

"**Shit-!" **

Distracted by his inability to perform, Jin didn't notice the piles of sand gathering behind until they shot out and latched down on him like a desert adder. Flexing his tails, he freed himself from the two-headed King Taiju look-alike.

But by that time the One-Tail was already upon him, hopping higher in the air than what one would think possible for something so large and trying to stomp him like an overgrown child would a worm in a puddle. The Man-Grimm wormed his way out from danger, wriggled through the larger beast's toes and then shot through its legs. Cleared from being crushed, Jin spat another salvo of flames shaped like mice which scurried up the Tailed Beast's backside.

Finally, Shukaku made a sound. He yowled at what must have felt like the worst case of hemorrhoids in history.

"**I **_**hate**_** how that works…" **And even though he had been successful, Jin was the one who felt indignant at having to stoop to such a move. His smirk was forced, the irony not lost on him. **"But how come I couldn't use Isobu's water-style? It wasn't a problem in Vacuo." **

"Contrary to conventional thought, it's more arid here than in Vacuo!" Oobleck shouted, hunkering behind another dune. His doctorate must have been in psychology if he'd been able to read Jin's thoughts like that. Otherwise, Ozpin had more info on him than he gave the man credit for. "The Antarctic winds sweep over the continent, making it cooler but also removing the moisture through condensation!"

But there was no time for Jin to consider either explanation as Shukaku dove at him in a mad tackle. Such gross movements from the giant Grimm were easy for him to dodge.

However, he should have seen that it was _too _easy, should have taken the brief window afforded him to look at the One Tails with something other than contempt. Beginning with the ambush, Shukaku seemed to be working purely on instinct, confronting his former Jinchῡriki with nothing but a blind drive and apathetic apatite.

-But there had also been Gaara's sand shell, the ambush itself, other things that were harder to attribute to reptilian reaction. Was there a shred of Shukaku's mind still remnant within this husk?

"He's trying to lead you further into the desert!" Oobleck shouted at the top of his lungs and the dune's crest. From there it was easy for him to see what was going on, and he was desperately trying to get the obstinate Man-Grimm to listen. "Don't be so arrogant to assume that he can't provoke you!"

"**Shut your mouth, you rat!" **

While having a self-sufficient spectator didn't really bother him, Jin was determined to see this fight through himself. This was the Ichibi- the weakest of the Tailed Beasts, and he was perfectly capable of defeating him on his own. He _had _to. There were no brats to take care of, no need to placate them with pretending to lend a hand. Jin might still not have had the wind element, but he didn't need Naruto's crutch (nor the Pipsqueak's, for that matter). He had Madara's anger to stoke the furnace.

There was also a slight breeze starting to kick up, fanning his flames higher and hotter. Stronger, fiercer, the gusts began to howl and drown out his feeling of familiarity and even shouts of rage.

"**Well… I'll be damned." **

All he could do was whisper to himself, the perennial wind had turned into a full-blown gale which gathered up half the desert along with it. A veritable wall of sand stared down on Jin, himself feeling like a dust mote about to be swept away under the carpeted landscape.

As the duststorm rolled over him, Jin fell to all fours and struggled to hold on with the sand slipping through his fingers. Piles like frosting started to gather on the front of his arms and legs. His eyes stung, acuity working against him as they bore witness to his body eroding and committed the experience to memory. The particle-laden winds lacerated his exposed flesh, polished off his bone armor only for black blood to be whisked over it like a fresh coat of paint.

But Jin buried the pain as thoroughly as the ruins which lay deep under the desert, his eyes continuing to fly and cut like shuriken as they searched for his adversary.

He rose back onto two feet. The storm no longer came from one direction but swirled as madly as the crazed Tanuki's memories in his head. Paying none of it heed, he let the winds take their pound of flesh for every step forward.

Robes torn to pieces, he held onto his hat which was just barely holding together. Underneath the accessory, those especially sensitive ears perked up and swiveled about. They disregarded the roar of nature, roving back and forth like radar for their prey.

"**This desert might be your home…" **While his ears moved independently, Jin concentrated on manipulating the mutant Chakra he now possessed. It spread from his chest to his toes and seeped far into the ground. It burned him up within as he was being excoriated without. **"**_**But I am the fucking landlord!"**_

Rolling aside, Jin dodged a massive arm ready to drive him into the earth. But from the same patch of earth erupted a boiling jet of brackish water, muddy with everything it had to drill through to breach the surface from the aquifer deep below. It smacked into Shukaku's face with all the magnitude of a world-class uppercut. From there, it hardened into limonite beard which dragged the One Tail's head down and brought him face to face with Jin.

"_**Amaterasu," **_

The flames spilled from his mouth like a great, black leviathan, gobbling up grains of sand and defecating obsidian snowflakes. Jin darted through the shitstorm, devolving back to all fours as he raced at the racoon. He could already taste blood as it dripped from his eyes into his open-mouthed smile. Plunging through the black cloud with his entire body like some crazed beast, Jin dug his acid-coated claws (courtesy of Saiken) into his target.

The caustic substance ate away at silica, the shield surviving just about as well as ice-cream in that desert. And like a hollow cone, underneath it was… nothing?

"**Shit- again!" **

Sensing the true Shukaku just underneath, Jin tried to dodge but found his limbs heavy and laborious to move- Not so the Tanuki. The Tailed-Beast jumped on this opportunity, snatched Jin up and stared at him with those wide, blank eyes like it couldn't believe what it had just done. No recognition, no emotion even as the beast began to squash him like a child trying desperately to hang on to its favorite toy.

"**Fate…" **While trying to rewind and figure out what happened, Jin was cast further back in time to just before he faced Shukaku for the first time. How did he win then? It was the Chῡnin exams and- _No!- that wasn't his._ **"I am nobody's puppet."**

The sand clogging his joints crusted up, liquefied and joined the magma which was being secreted from his body like sweat. Soon parts of Shukaku's armor were incorporated into the melt, the beast continuing to squeeze more material into Jin's own technique.

The Tailed Beast didn't notice until its palms began to burn- and by that time it was too late. Shukaku's flesh was being fused together and it was unable to detach itself as the lava oozed through its laced fingers. Trying to let go of the literal hot potato, the One-Tails flailed about in blind pain and panic, rolled about on the desert floor as if its entire body were on fire.

Eventually managing to unstick itself, Shukaku cast its accursed prey as far away as it could.

A shell formed around Jin as he flew, cracking like breadcrust as the last of the heat bled off inside. He flexed his tails and broke his cocoon completely, muscles still burning from their confinement.

He was momentarily lost in a sense of vertigo, the Four-Tail's technique taking too much of his energy and concentration. But he was able to orient himself to the fast approaching ground, searching around for Shukaku.

"**Now, where were we-?"**

***FWWWWOOOOOOOOSSSH!* **

Jin was struck by another surge of wind, totally incidental on the part of the Tanuki who was trying to blow on his own hands to cool them.

"**FUUUUUUUUCK YOOOUUUUU!"**

With a hand glued to his forehead and eyes firmly on the flying Grimm, Oobleck tracked Jin's path across the horizon while humming to himself. Mystified more than amused, he couldn't reconcile this performance with what was supposed to be the most powerful being on Remnant.

Oh, he understood that Jin's raw abilities probably exceeded the One-Tail's by a fair margin (not to say anything of Ozpin's or anyone else in the world who paled in comparison). But the Five-Tailed Man-Beast let himself be lured into a terrane which greatly favored his adversary. It was an unfathomable misuse of his mind and his strength- was Jin trying to handicap himself? Why?

Rather than wonder, Oobleck was determined to find out. He followed Jin's flight path to the west, back whence they came.

And it was true: When the doctor and the Sand Demon caught up, Jin was matching it blow for blow. The two Grimm forsook subtlety and technique, content to beat on each other and pound their adversaries until they were as flat as the foothills once were (now the ground looked like a face suffering from smallpox, dimpled and cratered from their duel).

Five tails-worth of strength tore into the Tanuki with reckless abandon, ferocious as a feral mongoose and tenacious as a fly that kept getting swatted away but would not be stopped. The One-Tails was doing all it could to deter the irritating insect, missing more often than not, but seeming to squash the smaller Grimm when a blow finally did connect.

But every time, Jin bounced back, instantly erupting from the ground to unleash a renewed onslaught on the One-Tails.

Except, he was losing ground.

"**Heh, that's it, just a little bit further, you oversized trash-panda. Fuck-!" **Sent flying from an admittedly unexpected fist from underground, the Five-Tailed Grimm grimaced as much as his broken jaw would allow him. **"This's fine, I don't need Madara or anyone else, I can do this all on my o- oh crap." **

Shukaku seemed determined to put him down once and for all. The giant Grimm had leapt into the air after Jin, rejoined both burned hands and struck him with a hammer blow that sent the smaller being rocketing into the ground faster than dust from the stratosphere.

Jin felt like a nail driven into redwood- he shifted his broken body and felt the stiff resistance around him. There was splintered rock rather than slippery sand between his fingers, and beneath him a solid foothold. He finally allowed a genuine smirk to form.

"**We're here, Shukaku…" **The rubble was as cracked as his armor, and Jin threw it aside like it was nothing more than a pile of paint chips. He pulled himself out of the crater and looked around the mountainside **"…Hey there ladies, Chief. Long time no see." **He grinned fully, aware of the gruesomeness of the act. **"Fancy meeting you here." **

"Who- _what the hell are you?!_" Ghira Belladonna bared his teeth at the Grimm and moved to stand in front of his daughter. This creature's apparent intelligence was even more unnerving than the unintelligibly large beast in the background.

"Dad, it's okay…"

"What? No- no it's not!" Weiss pushed past Blake and her father to confront Jin. "You nearly brought this whole mountain down on top of us! What're _you _even doing here? I thought you were supposed to be going after the One-Tailed Grimm- _not bringing him here!_"

"**Oh, gee, I'm sorry about that, Princess," **Jin replied sarcastically to the ruffled heiress, her bedraggled state making him feel better about his own. **"Would you like to check with the Big Guy and see if he can reschedule our fight to the death?" **

"-Look, just what in the name of Remnant is-"

"Oi! Jin!" Rather than waste time trying to explain everything to the Chief, for once Yang was the voice of reason as she imposed herself between the impending argument. "Could you quit being an asshole for once, shut up, and deal with 'the Big Guy' before we're _all _dead?!"

"**Hmmm…" **As she waited, Yang kept expecting something anticlimactic to come out any second. But this wasn't the mocking glares of the past, and the play-fighting of their spar was a lifetime ago- a life that he could begin or end on a whim. **"…Fine,**

"**At least now, I guess I get to do this,"**

On this side of the mountains the air was moister. It was close enough to the ocean that he could grab humidity from the air without his Tenants' help. A mouthful of liquid mixed in with the murky, viscous Chakra he stole from Three and Five. It was a guilty pleasure, tasting like a deep-fried Twinkie as he molded it with his tongue. Jin cleansed it from his pallet the very next moment, spewing a superheated jet of water at Shukaku.

He missed. Without any practice, the water which cut like a plasma was difficult to control. Still, it shorn straight through the One-Tail's shield and flesh, cleanly severing the Beast's left arm where it dissolved like toilet-paper under a faucet.

For a second, the mountains were silent.

Then Shukaku screamed.

So much pain… more than the Sand Demon could ever remember. More than it could comprehend- it was overwhelming, consuming every modicum of mindfulness the Beast had and superseding whatever sense-of-self remained in its husk.

He had completely given itself over to an It. And It was mad.

The One-Tailed Grimm stomped the ridge like it was nothing more than a bump in the carpet, swung its remaining arm against the rock so that it rooster-tailed downhill like a golfer chipping away uselessly at the green. It wasn't even trying to hit the other Grimm or the huntresses, but they unfortunately happened to be in the path of the resultant rockslide.

"RWBY: Polar Express!"

Her team didn't need the command to take action- which was good, because Ruby's shout could barely be heard above the mountainside coming down on them. Weiss jumped behind Jin, using the Grimm for an extra buffer as she erected an ice wall between them and the falling rock. The rest formed up behind her, Blake grabbed her father and forced him to crouch down behind Yang who was physically bracing the Schnee and deflecting any debris that managed to bounce over her barrier.

While this was going on, Jin stood in front of the snowy shield, carelessly batting away any boulder that happened to get even remotely near him.

"**What a big baby." **

"Can't you do something about it?!" Jin looked over his shoulder to find the youngest huntress behind him and in front of her friend's shield, her silver eyes imploring him to rescue them again- or else, somehow give her the power to do so. "Use another one of those water-laser things!"

"**Yeah, I could."** Casting another glance at the giant Grimm, Jin absently reset his crooked tail with a sickening crack but nary a flinch. **"-but that would be too easy."**

As easily as Jin healed himself, Shukaku was reducing the ridgeline to nothing but a berm. No specific target, this was a Tailed Beast in their most basic form: a natural disaster.

Ghira had heard legends of the landscape-changing Grimm- never believed them, of course. Reality never relied on such monsters; it had enough material within the evilness of man.

But this man- this _Jin_ \- he had finally put the face to the name- finally understood the irony of it all, because this Half-Grimm, Half-Man was very likely the worst of both worlds and yet-!

The Father finally grasped the dual reflection of admiration and antipathy in his daughter's eyes, the horror and the hope.

-And just as he did, the Chief caught something _else _horrible reflected in the ice-wall in front of him.

"The Village," Ghira breathed, gripping his chest as if his body chose that moment to remind him of his age and gift him with a heart-attack.

"What is it, Dad? Are you alright?" Blake grasped her father's trembling shoulders, trying to steady them.

"The Village!" Heedless of the danger, he stood up and spun around to look at the settlement they had left behind that morning. "The rocks are going to hit the Village!"

The same horror quickly spread among the huntresses. Yang and Weiss both turned their backs on their own defense and looked downhill. What had hit them was little more than a minor landslide, but below it was growing. It was gathering more of the loose talus along with all the rain that had fallen on this side of the mountain, transforming it into a massive lahar that could level a good portion of Vale- to say nothing of Kuo Kuana!

"What'd we do?!" Blake's dismay carried up the line to the team's captain who turned again to Jin.

"Jin-"

"**Not my problem." **

Ruby couldn't believe what she was hearing- no, that was a lie. Such words were as common to the Grimm as a patient, "Children…" was to Glynda or an, "I'm sorry" from the mouth of Pyrrha. It was the _way _he said it, total dismissal as he refused to tear his eyes away from the rampaging demon. Sure, the One-Tails might end up being the bigger problem. But he had been the cause of both, and so-

"But-"

"**What makes you think I care?" **Not caring enough to look at her, the way he talked was almost casual despite the One-Tails finally calming down and settling its anger on them once more. **"I've told you time and again: you are nothing to me but entertainment, no different from **_**Him**_**. And the moment either of you cease to be amusing is when I will end the fun. Likewise, the longer you spend here jabbering, the more annoying you become. And, the less time you have to do anything about the village." **

There was only a split-second of quiet after Jin finished talking, where Shukaku stopped stomping about and the rocks didn't rumble as they seemingly paused in air. Only a split-second in which Ruby had to decide.

"Jerk," Ruby's matador-red cloak gave one final fleer at the Grimm as she turned her back. But she wouldn't waste another second. "Weiss, go after the slide and see if you can't freeze it! Yang, break up any of the bigger rocks before they can get too far! Blake, stick with your dad! No matter what, we can't let him get hurt!" Ruby turned to address the Chief specifically, not asking permission but informing him what was going to happen. "I'm going to hurry on ahead and warn the everyone to evacuate. What can I say that'll get them to listen to me?"

Blake's father blinked at the sudden shift in attitude of the young girl. But then Ghira stepped forward and took off his necklace, dangling the single fang from its beaded string.

"Take this."

And before Blake could protest about the sanctity of that family heirloom, Ruby had already snatched it and blew past them both as she rocketed towards the town faster than any of them had seen her travel (even Jin, who designated a portion of his attention to tracking her downhill).

"…Dad-"

"Follow your captain's orders."

Weiss was already in pursuit of the Rose Line, sliding down a trail of white glyphs like a bobsled. Yang was taking on every boulder within the breadth of a football field, smashing and blasting them into harmless rubble before they could cause any more of a chain reaction.

Jin was still just standing there. Who was he waiting on? Them, or the One-Tails?

"**Might want to move," **He advised, claws kneading in anticipation. **"Things are about to get… interesting." **

Blake glared at his back while Ghira simply continued to stare, trying to gauge the Man-Grimm's intentions. He had only caught a glimpse of Jin's eyes, and it had not been enough to see past the deathly glare in those windows to the soul.

Then in a sudden moment of clarity, Shukaku constructed an arm of sand to replace the one he had lost. It struck out, extended towards the three of them faster than their own thoughts could reconcile it. But like a reverse parting of the Red Sea, Jin bifurcated the appendage with a blade of water coating his claws. The two halves flowed like mud on either side as Shukaku growled in frustration, simply giving up on that limb and molding another one.

"**Last chance before it starts to get really hairy." **He warned, still seeming not to give a shit either way.

"Come on, Dad." Hurrying her father after the other huntresses, both Belladonnas couldn't help but look back at the two Grimm readying themselves for a fight that could very well wipe Menagerie off the face of the map.

"**What'd ya say, Shukaku," **After they had left, Jin let out the Chakra building up inside of him. It greedily consumed the surrounding oxygen in the form of a fiery dragon which encircled him once before rising into the atmosphere. No doubt every living soul on the Island could see the blazing signal. **"Isn't it fun to have an audience?" **

* * *

"Everybody! You have to get out now!" Ruby desperately appealed, her audience's attentions split between the loudly colored human girl and the necklace she held aloft- but not on her worlds which were coming out with ever increasing urgency. "Drop whatever you're doing and get to the coast as fast as you can! There's a landslide on its way and we have no way to stop it!"

"She's lying!" Someone said, inciting confusion among the crowd. "This _human _girl is a huntress employed by Vale. Not only that, her teammate is none other than Weiss _Schnee_."

For a second time in mere seconds Ruby was struck dumb. Were these people stupid? Couldn't they _hear_ the oncoming rumbles (their senses so much more enhanced than her own)? Instead, they listened to this Priest's words and began murmuring conspiracies to one another.

"She's only trying to scare you! Look! She has already stolen the necklace of our Chief!"

And then, for the _first_ time, Ruby actually wanted to hurt someone. She was numb as she clenched the necklace given to her by Ghira, looking at the White Fang representatives while trying to restrain every urge she had to simply strike them down.

"That's not-"

"Look! Over there!"

Rising high over their heads was an unholy manifestation, bright as a flare and just as successful in getting the Faunus citizens to move. Nobody was going to listen to the White Fang priests when there was a literal dragon looming atop the mountain. The murmurs broke out into full-blow shrieks and mass panic.

"Remain calm! Don't try to outrun it, head to the North and- Ow! Hey- watch it-!"

Of course, they very much ignored the shouting huntress as well, jostling and shoving the small girl to the ground in their attempt to flee.

It was ironic: having fought against and slain Grimm both normal and extraordinary, Ruby now saw herself being stampeded by hundreds of feet belonging to Faunus she was just trying to save. Curled up in a fetal position with hands protecting her neck, she couldn't help but think about how pathetic she must look. Couldn't help but imagine Jin's cruel laugh, finding one final bit of pleasure in her demise.

"Hey! Move it! Out of the way! Girl, grab my hand!"

Ruby didn't have much of a choice as whoever it was reached through the mangrove of limbs and lifted her from the ground. They pulled the pair to the side, smooshing Ruby against a wall and waiting for the majority of the pandemonium to pass.

"Who are you?" _Where_ might also have been a good question, because it almost seemed to Ruby that she could see straight through the body shielding her.

"A friend of Blake's," The woman's frown appeared first, troubled face forming from thin air and turning to Ruby, demanding, "Where is she?"

"Safe," Though she had no reason to be certain, Blake's captain still felt that Jin wouldn't let anything happen to her teammate. "-But we need to evacuate the Village right now."

"Right," Clearly unsatisfied, the unidentified 'friend' looked towards the approaching cloud of dust and doom, past it to where the two monsters were dueling it out on the mountain's peak. "…This is His fault, isn't it?"

Nonplussed, but not needing clarification, Ruby declined to answer. She locked her lips but freed herself from the other woman's overbearing.

"…We can deal with blame later." Ilia heard the huntress, felt the blade forged from the silver-eyed girl's intense stare. "-If we don't get these people to safety, it's **our **fault."

"Right." Ilia nodded, not getting caught up with the fact she'd be sharing orders with a human huntress. "I'll make sure Corsac and Fennec don't get in your way. Meanwhile, with your speed, can you search the houses on the outskirts and make sure they're all evacuated?"

"Done."

As she disappeared into a flurry of Rose petals, Ilia didn't know what to think of the young girl. Was she naïve, trusting in a person she just met? Or was she wiser than she let on, knowing what Ilia was about with just a look and deciding that they didn't have time for differences?

Not having the time to think about it herself, Ilia set off to impede her superiors. Part of her was sure she would regret it, but that other part of her was still feeling that she should have done this long ago.

* * *

Weiss should have known that the situation would go pear-shaped just by the fact that _that _Grimm was involved. Blake coming out as a Faunus would have been the perfect opportunity to wash her hands of the whole thing, Beacon, RWBY, _Ruby_ and especially _Him_.

But Weiss couldn't just walk away.

Running almost as fast as her annoying captain, the white-haired huntress shot ahead of the muddy avalanche which was gathering more speed with every stone and pebble it accumulated. Suddenly leaping from white glyph to black, she halted, turned back on her pad and cast an area-wide attack at the lahar which froze it solid.

For all of about five seconds.

That's all it took for the debris to build up behind her makeshift damn, shattering the ice and turning it into yet more material for the landslide to level against the settlement.

"Damn you!" The Schnee wasn't in the habit of showing such unrestrained emotion- let alone cursing. But the situation called for it- called for everything she had. "Take this, you Son of a Bitch!"

Whether she was talking to the groundfall or the Grimm who caused it was anyone's guess. Weiss wasn't sure what she was doing herself, shooting vial after vial of every Dust variety at the unnatural disaster. Myrtenaster's chambers were smoking, steaming and probably growing some mold by the time she'd exhausted her ammunition.

But Weiss wasn't done.

Fire, Ice and Earth had delayed the Village's destruction only a few seconds. But, determined to buy them more time, Weiss threw in every bit of Aura she had to deploy a line of arresting glyphs in front of the slide.

A black line that could probably be seen from space appeared barely ahead of the avalanche. Liquified stone and earth smacked into the invisible barrier, being thrown into the air like water sloshing over the rim of a glass.

Weiss felt the muddy flecks against her face but ignored it for the sheer effort it took to hold back turbid current.

She was slipping- she could tell but tried not to think about it. Perhaps she should have thought beforehand about what to do if- _when _this failed. Although, maybe she was picking up some of her captain's bad habits.

"Weiss! What are you doing?!"

Faltering- Yang's yell disrupted her concentration. But in all fairness, Weiss was already spent, her Aura shorting out and her technique fading away with a fizzle in her chest.

She fell, only to find herself caught by strong arms she once decried as 'not-feminine enough'. Now, Weiss found herself whimpering as they gently set her down.

"Sorry Snow-Angle, I need two hands for this."

And with seconds to spare, Yang slammed both fists into the slab of rock beneath them. It levered up like a teetertotter- much like Jin had inadvertently taught her during their match. The raging muck ran off to either side and left them just enough solid ground to stand on.

"Now what?" Weiss asked, seeing that on either side of them was a wall of mud and water like an extra-chunky milkshake being tipped into the mouth of a giant. "…You didn't think this rescue through, did you?"

"Like you're any better," Yang folded her arms at Weiss, then they both laughed. Hardly the situation for it, but somehow things didn't seem as dire as they had before. "Feels like we're _washed up _before we even started, eh?"

"You ruined it." But her accusation was as facetious as if she'd accused Yang of ruining her favorite dress, the one which now was hardly suitable for a homeless person.

"Hey, give me some credit. At least I-" Something grabbed Yang's attention, then she caught a familiar black sheath being thrown at them. It was attached to an equally black ribbon, leading back to the tree-line just barely visible above the brown current.

"You're right, I should give you some credit," Standing up with some effort, Weiss shot a smug look at the blonde who still didn't seem to understand what she was holding. "You have a very competent partner."

"Shut up."

Both quit talking as Yang took the lead and wrapped the offered ribbon around them, binding the burned-out heiress to herself before securing it around her own waist. It would already be bad enough trying to find a relatively solid foothold across the slick, sliding terrane. Neither wanted to get mud in their mouths- to say nothing of a busted tooth.

But they made it without much incident. Despite Weiss disparaging her, Yang didn't drop either of them as she hopped from stone to stone. Blake had to haul them up into the branches when they were close enough, and it was there she told them her father had gone on ahead to help evacuate the Village.

"I thought that Ruby told you to guard him." Weiss didn't have it in her to outright blame Blake, considering she did save their skin.

"In the end, he's the Chief and the client before he's my dad," Blake explained, "When he ordered me to leave him and help you two, I couldn't very well refuse."

Neither could her teammate refute the Faunus's logic. And admittedly, Weiss felt a little bit better knowing that Blake put them on par with her family (another part of her was very uncomfortable with this idea, but that was a thought for later).

"-Besides, we're pretty sure we saw Ruby running around the outskirts of the Village. If we book it, I doubt we'll be able to catch up to the rockslide but at least we can regroup with the captain and look for stragglers."

The others nodded their acceptance, even though Weiss was fairly certain she wouldn't be able to assist with much. And to her chagrin, Yang volunteered to carry her the rest of the way so that she could use that little time to recharge some of her Aura.

It took longer than expected, not enough for Weiss to recover anything substantial, but for them to reach any semblance of a settlement.

Most of the structures in the immediate path of the mountain slide had been swept off their foundations, smashed to bits and added to the debris-laden deluge as it continued its path of destruction into the Village proper. If there'd been anyone alive, their bodies were already buried.

They would find plenty more, further down.

Broken, mangled and buried under tons of rubble. People were stripped naked by the force of nature sweeping their clothes away while they remained clutching steadfast to a solid post or tree trunk. Some left limbs behind, hands and feet separated from torsos. Families were separated by kilometers; the perfectly preserved body of an infant was discovered in the arms of her mother whose smashed corpse lay across town.

And that was just the first impressions, the student huntresses struggled to maintain their footing and the food in their stomachs as they picked their way through the destruction.

"This is…" There were no words. Even if the heiress had the strength to pick up her Scroll, the pictures it would produce couldn't communicate half this catastrophe to the rest of the world.

"I'm going to be ill," And yet, with a mouthful of bile, the blonde would continue to pick through the ruins, looking for those who were simply unconscious. Too often she shifted some debris to discover a corpse that was barely recognizable as humanoid.

"Hello! Is anyone here?!" Putting aside her feeling of hopelessness, Blake continued to put one foot in front of the other as she walked amongst what used to be one of the most heavily trafficked market streets. The whole situation had been made worse by the fact that the Faunus city was so densely populated. Although, after this… "Is anyone… alive?! We're here to help!"

How they would render aid, she wasn't sure. Blake was already going hoarse from all the shouting, and she'd never bothered learning anything but basic first aid from her stint in the White-Fang. When she stopped yelling, their search would be conducted in silence.

But she wouldn't stop until every stone was overturned. There were fewer casualties than she knew had been citizens living in this part of the Village. Maybe Ruby had been able to get most of them out after all?

"…Help,"

Plaintiff and soft, barely audible as Blake heaved yet another hunk of concrete or rock (it was impossible to tell what was natural and what was artificial as all of it was mixed together in a gruesome mélange), but there was something about the voice which she would have recognized even without her acute hearing.

"…Ilia?" There might have been another moan, or not, as Blake bolted to where she thought she heard it coming from. "Ilia!"

A trickle of rubble rolled out from underneath a pile of broken beams and torn paper walls. Immediately Blake began shifting things out of the way, carelessly tossing what might have once been city hall or somebody's home (hell, it could have been hers- where was her mother in all this madness? Gods, Blake hoped she was alright. If not…).

The others might not have been attuned enough to hear the initial cry for help, but before long Blake found herself joined by Yang and Weiss, the former flinging aside tree-trunk columns as if they were toothpicks.

"Hey… you made it." It was Weiss who first unburied her head, but Ilia's half-lidded gaze went right to Blake. "I take it that means your captain got the message out, huh?"

"Oh, Ilia!" Frantically digging out the rest, they found that the Faunus had one of her arms caught by a crossbeam. It was so thoroughly smashed that there was no doubt it would have to be amputated. In the meantime, Blake undid the ribbon she kept out of sentimentality and tied it off around her friend's shoulder as a makeshift tourniquet.

"Hey, did you say you saw Ruby?" Yang probed as gently as she could, trying not to upset the girl or her teammate. But it was hard not being upset herself, considering this woman somehow knew both her sister and the fact that she was their captain.

"Helped her out a bit…" Biting her lip as she was shifted, something scraped uncomfortably inside her. Ilia felt herself begin to lose consciousness again and recognized that she had to tell them what she knew before it was too late… for either of them. "Told her to go help people who lived farther out. Corsac and Fennec were giving her trouble."

"Where are those bastards?" Blake was not above using foul language herself, especially when it came to those meddlesome White Fang acolytes. Even when she was a part of the organization, she hadn't trusted them, and thus wanted to know they had been dealt with.

"If you don't see them here, probably have to dig a bit deeper, heh." Though she wouldn't lose any sleep over those two, the sight of Ilia beginning to pass out and cough up blood when trying to chuckle caught Blake wide awake.

"You have internal bleeding," Weiss intoned, moving past the others and tracing her fingers over the Faunus's stomach and side. "I think one of your ribs punctured a lung. There's swelling here… a sign of traumatic pneumothorax."

Looking at their teammate like she'd just grown a pair of insectoid wings and thorax, Weiss looked up and barked at them, "It means that the blood is leaking into her chest and the increase of pressure is going to suffocate her."

"What'd we do?" Blake asked, forgetting for the moment whatever uncomfortableness existed between them- along with how the Schnee knew so much about field medicine.

"This."

While one might think they had seen enough surprises for the day, both Blake and Yang balked as Weiss took the needlelike tip of Myrtenaster and plunged it into Ilia's chest, just beneath and to the side of the collar bone. A quick stab- too quick for the others to do anything about it. And when the Schnee retracted her weapon, a spurt of blood hit her in the face- though Blake herself felt like she'd been slapped by Jin.

"Weiss! What did you just -?!"

"*OOOAAaaaahhhh*!"

Blake was interrupted from her outrage as Ilia sucked in a startled, wet breath, like it was her first ever on Remnant.

"You have to have an outlet for the pressure," Weiss explained monotonously, tearing off what might have been the only clean scrap of her dress and pressing it against the small wound she'd just inflicted. "She's still going to need blood, but at least now she won't die on the way to treatment."

Stunned, Blake studied Weiss for perhaps longer than she really had time for. She was about to thank her teammate when Ilia caught her sleeve and spoke to her desperately.

"Where's your father? Corsac and Fennec- *Cough!* -they- *Cough, cack!*"

"Oh, for the love of- don't try to speak," Weiss admonished, trying to tend to her 'patient' but being brushed off.

"What about Dad?" Blake asked, anxiousness causing her to ignore her friend's discomfort. "And Mom? Did you see her?"

"Mom's fine," Ilia smiled ruefully, reminded of her uselessness. She considered whether to have the surprisingly helpful Schnee amputate her dead arm. Hell, why stop there? Just carve out her heart, remove her entirely from this painful world. Because confessing her love, her part in this morbid parody was just too agonizing. "-'Saw her get out. But your Father, the White Fang-"

"Incoming!"

For all the good it would do, Yang grabbed what used to be a sign and hauled it over their heads as a shield. A few fragments of the approaching fireball broke off before and after impact, pelting the piece of scrap metal and sounding like a torrential summer shower.

But the larger pieces missed them, somehow. And the main bolide crashed into one of the few buildings standing upright after the mudslide.

"Anyone want to take a bet as to _who_ that was?" While Yang was being sarcastic, she heard a whisper from the injured woman.

"The Grimm," Ilia grimaced, face scrunched up in pain. It was then that they noticed another pool forming beneath her, the blood so dark it almost blended into the mafic mud. "…Jin."

"Ilia-"

"Go!" The chameleon shouted, jerked upwards and turned deathly white. More blood started to spill form her mouth and abdomen as the splinter jutting up through the back of her kidneys was wrenched loose. "Don't let him-!"

* * *

"**Ha, ha, ha, ha! That was awesome! Well done, Shukaku!" **Jin was smiling even as brushed off the flames from his own attack backfiring. **"Did Gaara teach you that one, or did it just come to you? I'm amazed either way. Even if it was pure luck, the fact that you were able to trap natural gas in the sand and use it to prematurely detonate my fireball- why, it almost brings a tear to my eye."**

Almost, so close. Pain and joy would both be gone too soon. This chance to stretch his legs he wanted to stretch out for as long as possible, to _delay _the inevitable. He wanted to tease and banter, break and heal over and over and over again…

But the buildings, the world around him wouldn't fix themselves. Be it brick or rock under his hands as he hauled himself up once again, it would take centuries to reconstruct-millennia, even- if ever.

And it would never be the same again.

Then, there were only three left after the One-Tails. Afterwards, he would be the strongest. Unparalleled.

All alone.

"**Omnipotent…" **Trying on the word like a new coat (which he would definitely need after this). **"…who wants that? Omniscient… knowing what I do, I wish I knew less. Omnibenevolent… ah, now there's a delusion if I've ever heard one. They all supposedly go hand in hand, but I doubt I'll be saving any orphans once we're all done here." **

Even though he would be leaving many without family, food, homes, it wasn't his place to worry about it. His purpose was to fight Grimm, nothing more.

However, when he heard the distinctive groan of something alive, he halted and looked down.

"**So, we meet again." **As much as Jin had sworn that he wasn't a puppet for Fate, the face of Ghira Belladonna sticking out of the ground by his feet had him wondering. **"...Are you alive? Don't take this the wrong way, but it would be more convenient for both of us if you were already dead."**

The pile of bricks broke out into a diminuendo of wheezing chuckles.

"Believe me… I would have been happier… never meeting you in the first place." Ghira tried to shift himself and look up at the Grimm, but the weight on top was too heavy and he let his head fall back down.

"**I get that a lot."** But there he was, and so Jin crouched by the Chief's head so he wouldn't have to strain himself.

"I'm sure you do… and… I'm sorry,"

"**You know, usually it's the executioner who should say that." **Before, Jin might've admitted he felt a tad sorry for what he had agreed to do. Hearing this _pity, _though, would make his job a pleasure.

"But… you wouldn't mean it."

"**True." **He agreed.

"The thing is… it's over for me… but I need you to-"

"**Not happening," **Jin scoffed and took a seat on a toppled wall, looking perfectly content to wait on Ghira to draw his last breath while Shukaku still raged somewhere in the background. **"You were right about me from the beginning, I'm not a good guy, I-"**

"I don't care!" With a burst, Ghira shifted himself under the collapsed building. With all four stout limbs underneath him like the columns of a democratic forum, the Faunus lifted. And there, where one might mistake it for the masculine man's chest-hair, was a dark head. "Take the child! Save him! Save as many as you c-can! It's-!"

Ghira's left arm slipped down to his elbow. And at the same time, Jin felt his self-assured expression slip slightly down his face.

"-It's the least you can do!"

And what would one life matter, more or less?

"…**You know, no one's supposed to survive that sees me." **

"He's a child, unconscious! Just-!" Ghira wasn't asking the world of Jin, just a small part of the burden which he knew the Half-Man was perfectly capable of bearing. More than him, anyway: a washed-up old radical that would probably be better served as a martyr than mayor. "-Please."

Crouched so close to the Chief, it would be easy to just sweep this whole thing under the rug. Slit the man's throat and let the blanketing rubble cover two more casualties.

"Dad!"

It was decided. Jin reached in and plucked the black-haired child from the Chief's grip the way one would an especially nasty splinter.

Immediately afterwards, the patriarch of Faunus fell. And as if the child were the last piece in Jenga, the rest of the tottering building came down on top of him.

"NOOOO!"

Blake wailed, somehow elbowed Jin out of the way and slid on her knees over the hackly ground towards her father. Blood from her shredded legs mixed with his as he was squeezed like toothpaste under the tons of rock.

Not wanting to look at the distraught girl- no… being honest for once, Jin couldn't. But he could distract himself with the child he had been charged with, holding him in his claws as most would a doll made from linen scraps.

The boy was young, but not as much as he'd first assumed. Malnourished, then. Perhaps in his early teens, no more. Yet his face was round, his skin flush despite the chalky dust which coated it. There were also white stripes in the boy's raven-black hair that he hadn't noticed before, corresponding to one on his tail. A skunk? Oh, what a shitty life this boy must have had.

And yet, not a drop of hatred. That he could feel.

"**Not another one…" **

Jin thought about crushing the kid right then and there, tossing him away as if the Grimm were the petulant child, and the Faunus boy a toy he no longer played with.

But then, his prior amusement caught up.

Shukaku's earthen hand extended towards them, and Jin considered simply letting the Tailed Beast take the boy. However, the sandy limb was suddenly severed by a cut which was so fast and clean the most veteren huntsmen would be hard-pressed to follow it. But Jin could, and he already knew who it was.

"**What'd you think you're doing, Pipsqueak?" **

After the One-Tail retreated, Ruby landed where the hand was already dissolving back into dirt and turned around to actually _glare _at Jin.

"What you should have done from the very beginning!" But as she faced the giant Grimm, a tail wrapped itself around her waist and dragged her back.

"**Need I remind you that Shukaku is **_**mine**_**." **

"Then defeat him already!" Trying to writhe her way out of the restraint, Ruby already knew the gesture was useless. She could no more escape the Man-Grimm than she could defeat the massive One-Tailed monster. But she had to try. "If you won't let me- then do it! Kill him!"

There was such anger in her voice that it once again almost brought a tear to his eye.

Yet, Jin couldn't figure out why he wasn't happy. He had corrupted the incorruptible, inserted hatred in the pure-hearted huntress and shown them all how easily the seeds of destruction were sown. Even still…

Looking around, Jin spotted the other two. Both stood tall, the Schnee with a look on her face that was carved from ice itself, and the rest of her body covered in blood that was not her own. Yang was carrying the bothersome chameleon, wrapped up in salvaged bed sheets. And at the same time, the blonde's violet eyes now carried more resolve than her ephemeral flames could ever hope to hold a candle to.

Then there was Blake. Acid tears were eating away at her mascara, almost sizzling as they dripped onto her dad's cooling body.

Shukaku roared.

"**Here, hold on to this."**

Jin released Ruby, but before she could do anything, he shoved the unconscious child into her arms and pushed her aside. He strode purposefully towards the towering Shukaku, Blake's drowning words like a whip crack across his back,

"End it."

So, he did.

* * *

Everything ends, typically sooner than expected.

Sometimes it's a good thing, like that nostalgic feeling when you have to return from a vacation. If it were to go on too long, you'd one day wake up to realize you're no longer having fun. And then, question whether you ever were.

Ilia bet that she would be happier having never recognized her true feelings. Just being friends with Blake would have been more than enough. But love… that was too hard. It came with all sorts of responsibilities and regrets, it was too painful for any one to bear- Perhaps that was one reason Blake ran away in the first place.

And maybe Ilia was still deluding herself.

They all wanted a happy ending, but this was what they got:

The casualties had been few, comparatively. Whereas the destruction had been near total, the body count had numbered only in the tens. Not bad, for a population of one-hundred thousand. For their rescues, Ruby- and surprisingly Weiss had been considered heroes, along with Ghira Belladonna.

But Blake's dad had been among the victims too. They held a brief service for him and the others, followed by a bonfire vigil where they cremated both the Chief and the bulk timbers of their homes. Whereas most Faunus funerals were a celebration of life, this was a somber affair. Almost everyone wept, from ardent White Fang to the lone Schnee who could not control her sniffles. But unlike the death of the Great Buddha, even the cat shed a tear.

It was too soon to say whether this tragedy would bring the Faunus together or incite a new schism. The White Fang leadership, along with the rest of the world, was silent for the moment. Which was just as well, because no one was certain what to say.

Very few knew exactly what happened, and it was hard keeping rumors from spreading. Was it the Schnee's fault? Some kind of divine justice? A sign of the end of days? An attack by external forces? Next to no one believed it had been coincidence.

Of course, the huntresses knew the truth. Now, along with Ilia and a handful of others. But they were forced to ignore it, hide the facts behind lies which tasted like the cremated remains. After all, who would believe them?

Although, at the same time they buried the story, they dug something else up from the ashes.

As the southern summer drew to a close, Blake would be returning to Beacon. Along with the doctor, her team and the untamable tiger, it would be a long and uncomfortable journey. Just like life.

But at least Blake now had some new reading material. Kali Belladonna saw to that.

She saw her daughter off that day. Along with an injured Ilia and the child Jin had spared, they bid the team farewell at the docks which had survived the destruction. The chameleon Faunus felt her skin crawl with how close she was to both the saltwater and sentient Grimm once again, but she put up with it. This wasn't her moment.

As it turned out, Blake's mother had been the historical expert who correlated the ancient texts. She had made the painstaking translations alongside contextual notes, not to mention copying it all into a datafile that could be easily shared via Scroll (not everyone on Menagerie was as technically challenged as they assumed).

Now they had even more of the story. But it remained a question whether they would even want to look at it after all that had happened, not to mention whether they would care to believe what was written down.

If it was to be believed, the Grimm now looked almost… remorseful, like he had been under a spell of insanity and only broke out of it once he had slain the One-Tails. But trusting in this meant that they had to potentially forgive Jin for actions that were not strictly his own, and no one was ready to do that.

They all had darkness inside of them. Everyone was capable of evil including the humans and Faunus who now _hated _the Grimm. They didn't _want _to give up this justified anger and resentment.

But Ilia did. She was tired of fighting- couldn't anymore, missing her left arm. Though she had been offered a free replacement courtesy of the Schnee, Ilia turned it down. She considered turning in her weapon for the white robes of the Fang's emissaries, finally believing she understood the sentiment Ghira had been trying to instill in them all along. He had been right.

So had Jin. Ilia cared, perhaps too much. And peace was a fragile, precious thing. It was worth fighting for, killing, even.

But killing, death, anger, hatred, regret- all those were easier than actually _doing_, living, loving.

Jin was wrong. It was better to have loved then lost, than to have never loved at all.

Leaning on her makeshift crutch, Ilia watched love and hate drift off into the sea on white sails.

Kali hooked a hand around her good shoulder, careful to avoid the bad one as she brought the redhead in for a hug. On the other side, she did much the same for the newly orphaned child.

The ocean breeze caressed the boy's shimmering, obsidian hair as he stared out to sea after the disappearing ship.

"…That man saved me, didn't he?" Blinking his crystal-blue eyes, the child missed the flinch from the two Faunus who weren't his relatives but were quickly becoming familiar. "I never got to say thanks."

"Come on, kid," Hobbling herself around, Ilia made her way back to the beach whose sand was covered by the ruins of their lives. "We've got work to do."

"Okay, sis!" While Ilia stopped short, the child shot forward and nearly knocked her off the pier. "Race ya!"

"Hey-!"

Saved from falling into the water by a quick reaction from Kali, Ilia eventually waved away the helping hand along with her annoyance as she started after the child. The matriarch followed closely, making sure there wasn't another incident.

"…How on Remnant did you deal with raising kids?" Ilia asked, trying to keep the child in sight.

"It's easy," Kali answered with a smile that was anything but. How that woman managed to keep going after all this was another mystery that she probably wouldn't get an answer to. "You care too much not to."

* * *

**Chapter Title: No More Stones to Throw by Enter the Haggis**


	14. Dream On

**Hey everybody, I am so sorry it has been this long since an update. I was celebrating the end of the world in the desert for a week, and then when I got back a lot of homework piled up and anyway... you really don't want to know more. Or maybe you do. In any case, I tried to get this out as fast as I possibly could. It might be a major mistake not to do a final readthrough because even though it might seem like a filler chapter at first, there's quite a lot key to the plot in here. That's the only thing I'll say, also, adammflat **,**the answer is yes, yes I did. And I'll do it again!**

**Starting now:**

* * *

"Hey Jin!"

Gay as the robin, the girl chirped good morning to the grumpy Grimm and sent him a beatific smile that was twice as bright as the sherry-red sunrise- her very presence making it so.

Any day was worthwhile with Ruby Rose, patron saint of new beginnings.

"…**Go away, Pipsqueak." **The charcoal-black creature simply curled into an even tighter ball, as if sleep were as precious as diamonds and pleasant dreams could be forged with enough effort. **"It's still too early. Come back in like… 15 years." **

"But come oooooooon!" Howling like a cuckoo, the childish huntress stomped her foot and contorted her face into her best pout. "You _promised_. After I 'had nothing else to learn' from my friends. Well, you're now looking at the number 1 ranked huntress in Beacon!"

"**Congratulations," **Neither the proclamation nor Ruby's judicious use of her 'Puppy-Dog' eyes had much of an effect on the Grimm who still had his nose buried in the ground. **"Yet you still haven't learned how to give me my space." **

"Pffft-!" Sticking out her tongue, the young huntress noticed something else sticking out from the compressed ball of flesh and bone in front of her. Try as he might to shut himself off from the world, there was always a part of Jin that remained in tune. In this case, it was one of his rabbit-like ears. "Buuuuuuut, I did learn _this_!"

She pounced.

"_**What do you think you're do**_**ooooooooh… that's… that's actually kind of nice…" **

Ruby's fingers were as mischievous as their owner. They wriggled their way through Jin's armor and found the soft spot just above his spiked crown. With dexterity and tactile strength from wielding her weapon, those digits worked their magic. They played with the dimpled flesh of his scalp as skillfully as a professional basketball player, teased the tiny hairs which lined his ears and made the jumpy beast lie down once again.

"**Oh yeah… that's the spot."**

"Like that?" Even though he was making a sound like a diesel engine, it was hard to tell who was enjoying it more. Ruby was immensely satisfied she could make him feel such pleasure. "Dad taught me. He said something like: 'Ruby, learn how to do this. If you find a guy who can't take care of you at least this good, he's not worth it.'… come to think of it, I think he might have been talking about something else…"

"**Less talky, more scratchy." **

Ruby was all too happy to oblige.

"Alright," Indulging Jin for a good while, at least. At last, after what felt like a solid fifteen minutes of hands-on attention, she had to stop as her hands felt like they were cramping. "So, you good now?"

"**Better… but who told you to stop?" **

"Aren't you getting bored of it?"

"**Does a nympho get tired of orgasming?" **A single eye that was as red as her face rolled around in its socket with sarcasm. **"Keep going." **

"I can't keep doing this all day, ya know." In so many ways the Grimm was just a bigger version of her, an oversized child with an even bigger apitite. She locked her arms away in the crooks of her elbows and gave Jin a chiding look. "Besides, you owe me. I expect lessons- for you to be an _actual _teacher. Not just someone who sits back and reads a book or something while giving 'mysterious' advice."

The diesel engine which had been purring along just fine until then started sputtering. After came a sound like a stripped clutch as the Grimm was clearly grinding his gears.

"Oh, quit being such a baby!" Huffing, Ruby turned away from her reflection in his narrowed gaze. She refused to think she sounded as petulant as he did. "I'm not lifting a finger until you help me."

"**Then, what good are they?" **

Intent on scolding the mulish Man-Beast, Ruby whipped around with a finger raised like she'd seen Glynda do a thousand times before and-

Wait… where was her finger? Furthermore, where was her arm?

Though the answer was right in front of her, it took Ruby a mind-numbingly long time to realize-

It was in Jin's mouth,

Caught between his teeth like a toothpick, as if nothing more than a branch while the Grimm himself beamed with the pride of a Labrador Retriever.

"Huh?" Another bout of numbness. She tried wiggling her fingers and they waved back at her.

"**Your hands were no longer pleasing to me," **He annunciated clearly, still with the severed appendage in his mouth. **"Therefore, they are useless." **

There was an audible crunch as he bit down on her limb, devoured it like a jerky treat. But no pain. No phantom sensation or outright agony as she saw him consume her flesh.

"**Someday, you too will be of no use to me," **He had gone from four legs to standing on two as he approached her with long strides.

With her other arm Ruby tried to hold him off. But that one was gone too, disappearing into his maw like a sauce-slathered manicotti. She tried to run, but her legs lay uselessly to the side as snacks for later.

Next to them were the rest of her team- their remains, anyway, sprawled haphazardly with limbs and torn off akin barbie-dolls in the company of a vindictive younger brother. Her sister's face was unrecognizably melted as if by a magnifying glass, and Weiss's dress had been torn away from her doll-like body. Blake's head rested far away from her charcoal-black body. All three had huge, cookie-cutter bites taken out of them.

The comparison with her favorite treat made her feel like hurling- but nothing would come up. She was empty, dry heaving as Jin carved out her stomach with his claw. She wanted to scream, but her lungs were already within the blood-stained smile looming over her. Her heart was in his hands.

"**And when that day comes…" **

The smile parted, and Ruby was swallowed by darkness.

* * *

It was dark, pitch-black in the room when she sat bolt upright in her bed and nearly toppled over the side. First things first, she tried and found with immense relief that she could breathe.

When she inhaled, there was the taste of bile in her throat. She was lightheaded and the room was swaying- although, that could have been their rickety bunkbed setup which swayed like a ship in rough tide.

Eventually it settled, the room, her stomach and her breathing. Ruby looked around, trying to remind herself that this place was familiar to her. There was Weiss below, Blake across the way who looked like she too was stirring- no, best not trouble any of them with her night terrors. They needed sleep too, especially Yang who was taking unfair responsibility for what happened. The violet-eyed woman had posted vigil for almost a week after the incident. But now her eyes were finally closed, and she was fitfully sawing logs, arms thrashing around in her sleep.

And next to her, on the nightstand, was the journal which none of them yet had the guts to read. It was as if Jin really had eviscerated them, and they didn't dare look within the pages to see if they were dead. In the dark, the Scroll's glowing lights looked like the Grimm's eyes, watching.

Ruby sighed.

It was going to be another long night.

* * *

It was night when she fell asleep. But when she awoke it was day-

No, not quite. The twilight landscape hovered in between darkness and light like she hovered between conscious objection and simply accepting her strange circumstances.

Something was clearly amiss, but Blake couldn't say what.

She was unable to say anything, the blue air around her made her feel like she was in an old-timey film where words were seldom spoken, the sound tinny and distant.

And in the distance, there was something she had never seen before yet knew straight away what it was.

The Moon.

Correction: The Full Moon. Its canvas of meteor impacts like the dimples in a Chinese Checker's board, where one could move a marble from one side clear over to the other unimpeded. And as mundane as the analogy, Blake looked up at it's larger than life face without feeling that anything was out of the ordinary.

Nothing seemed unusual. Not even the Sun which sat diametrically opposed in the sky, its light no more glaring than what was reflected from the silvery lunar surface. The two were just there, hung like holiday ornaments above the largest tree she had never seen.

"**Do you finally understand?" **

But there was nothing to understand, all was simply as it should be. The man who spoke to her had been standing there all along, his pinwheel eyes always rotating like the heavenly bodies. He was still waiting for an answer.

"**These people all died for you." **Where before the landscape had been endless and empty, now it was finite and filled with corpses. Blake felt that she should have recognized some of their faces, yet she couldn't bring herself to look. She remained fixed on the man in red armor, unmoving as his lips as he began to speak again,** "-Yet they had no choice. Death is always preferable to a life without hope. But they only believed this dichotomy because you lied to them.**

"**Perhaps you lied to yourself as well, maybe you honestly believe that the world I am trying to create is the lie. But now I see there has been a misconception. There is no difference between a dream and reality other than which we accept to be true. And I am not trying to take away that choice. Rather, I wish to offer it to everyone.**

"**In this world, freewill is an illusion. You do not believe me- you **_**cannot **_**believe me. You are incapable of accepting any other truth but your own and cannot sit idly by while witnessing something you perceive as injustice." **It was true, Blake felt the compulsion to strike this man down but could do nothing. Part of the movie, part of the painting, she had to perceive it.** "We two are shackled by our strength. Being strong comes with the responsibility of having to pick a side- we are even responsible for doing nothing. We have no choice but to be labeled as either Good or Evil.**

"**But what if we didn't have to? The world I want to create isn't perfect but **_**fair**_**, where everyone has the capacity to **_**choose Good or Evil **_**without the bias of others. As it stands now, people are bound by circumstances they are born into and poisoned by the perceptions of others. Hardships such as disabilities, plague, famine, **_**war**_**, force even good people to go against society's morals in order to stay true to their own. Our own families can compel us into a position where we must choose between them and the culture we call out own. Even words, well-intentioned can lead to the needless slaughter of millions."**

It seemed that he waved to the mass grave and the eyes all opened to look at the two of them.

"**If there were no one else left, if this were the end of the world, would you still fight me?" **

It was the end; the world fell away like the wings on a folding table and left that little square of light with the two of them on it. His fleering gesture came back around to bridge that massive gap between gods.

"… **Or, if you could, would you take my hand and call me… friend?" **

The choice was between him and nothing. Between light and dark lay the shadow. Beyond them had been nothingness, bleak, barren, blank. But now shadows moved among the black void, and Blake recognized them just as well as anything else: The Tailed Beasts, living shadows set to consume even hope.

"**So, what do you say…" **

The Demons surrounded them- but, hadn't they always been there?

"**Uzumaki Naruto?" **

Awareness returned to Blake all at once, along with all the horror, revulsion and other remnant emotions she hadn't been able to express in the dream. She wanted to scream-

Biting down on her hand, the sound was muffled in the meat of her palm until it was no louder than the groaning of wood, their beds constantly complaining about how they had been stacked.

Blake sucked in several breaths like this until the taste of iron subsided enough that she could once again smell the floral detergent they used for washing sheets. While she was waiting, she could swear she heard the bunk suspended across from hers shift. Rather than see if she could spot Ruby's silver eyes in the darkness like the moon from her dream, Blake turned over and buried her nose into her pillow.

She pretended to return to sleep, yet there was no tricking herself. The truth was that she would remain awake for the rest of the night with the smell of blood on her conscience like the scent of fresh coffee.

But at least come morning, she knew what she had to do.

* * *

"Do you have any idea what you have done?"

"**Gee-wiz let me see…" **Being asked the mother of all rhetorical questions from the man who would deign to be his father, Jin rolled his eyes and tallied the score. **"In the process of tracking down and killing another Tailed-Beast, I may have kinda-sorta accidentally caused a major landslide which wiped out one of the largest settlements on Menagerie, thus resulting in the untimely demise of their ruler."**

"That is not the half of-"

"**-**_**And,**_** let us not forget that because of your neurotic desire to keep my existence secret, rumors have since run rampant about the exact nature of said destruction. With the surprising lack of eyewitnesses coming forward, someone outside of Menagerie put forth the notion that the **_**Schnee **_**or even Atlas itself was responsible for the assault on Faunus sovereign territory. And even though this is an obvious lie, because the Island lacks direct communication with the outside world, no one with any authority can correct it. Thus, foreign elements of the White Fang are using the pretext of an attack against their homeland as propaganda, which is further agitating relations between humans and Faunus within the Kingdoms," **

Like a cat bringing in a half-dead mouse and laying it at the human's feet, Jin waited for Ozpin to show either praise or revulsion. For him to show _something _other than the blank visage which vaguely smelt of disapproval- like this man had _any _right to feel that way.

"…**Am I missing anything?" **

There was nothing to be seen on the headmaster's face, nothing to miss except opportunities long-since passed.

"We are on the brink of war," Ozpin admitted, "Civil war, an armed conflict between Kingdoms, racial uprising. Take your pick." Jin raised a clawed finger like he was going to order one of these off a menu. But before he could make any such snarky remark, the man cut him off. "-You have made it perfectly clear time and time again that Mankind is always on such a cusp and that you supposedly couldn't give a damn, being so far outside and above us. Well, that might be fine and dandy most of the time. But now you've put your foot in it."

Fringed feat stretched out on the low coffee table between them, Jin gave a hulking shrug with his arms slung over the couch he had months ago claimed for his own.

"**Well, what can you do? Can't have it both ways." **

"If what the people need is an outlet for their anger, a mutual enemy they may rally against, I can, and I will give them _you_."

For once, Jin had nothing immediately to say. Not moving, either, gravity made him sink into the suede leather until his arms were resting on the wooden frame underneath. There he lay like it was a crucifix.

"…**You would villainize me? **_**Demonize **_**your own son?" **

"You play the role so perfectly," He did not snap at the Grimm-Man's bait, taking the acknowledgement of their kinship with the same tranquility he would take a glass of water. "You play the monster when it suits you, the god when circumstances demand. But all other times you prefer a half-hearted rendition of a child, one who is grotesquely pitiable enough that people are inclined to forgive his attitude.

"-But that's not who you are, and that's not going to work this time. My 'neuroticism', as you so kindly put it, is based on the assumption that people will be far too frightened to deal with your revelation rationally. However, war throws this precept out the window." Through the open window the sunrise's first light hit Ozpin's face as he leaned over, casting a hard spark in his eyes where once there was leniency. "People are _already _scared, and you can bet a war will only increase that. Would I sell out my son- even if he were my own flesh and blood- if it meant minimizing that? Yes. I damn-well would."

"**And these people you presume to speak for, do you have any idea how many of them would die?" **There was no doubt that he had. Ozpin had not been making an idle declaration- not a bluff nor a call, Jin reckoned the man was no longer even playing the game. **"-And what makes you so certain you could even win? Even if you did have all the Kingdoms' horses and all the Kingdoms' men at your disposal, I have **_**six **_**tails now. And you should know what that means." **

"It means that I can no longer afford to treat you like a child, because the reality is that neither of us are young nor ignorant anymore. Many will die, yes. But hopefully we will be moving forward. And you can be a willing part of it, or not."

"**You've got it all figured out, don't you?" **Snarling, the Grimm gnashed his teeth to the continuing lack of unease in his opposite. **"Go ahead, keep telling yourself that. I have no right to say otherwise. But humor me: how do you plan on defeating this big, bad Tailed-Beast, hm? With that half-alive Maiden you have stored in the basement?" **

It was not the first point struck, but Jin's blow nearly knocked the headmaster out of his chair.

"**What? Are you really surprised I know about her?" **As he sat up, Jin's smirk turned to a genuine look of surprise himself which then molted to disgust. **"You… are… How? You made them! They are the last untainted remnant of Natural Chakra in this forsaken world- **_**they are a part of you!"**_

The creature was now on the attack, leaping up out of his deep sitzmark in the sofa and stepping _through _the coffee table as if it were merely a sparse thicket of brush and not solid oak.

But Jin didn't lift a finger towards the headmaster. His claws sunk deep into the man's desk as he glowered down into green eyes which were enlarged to the point Ozpin's glasses were falling off his face. There wasn't any fear in the former huntsman, however. Just shock at having elicited such a reaction. In all honesty, neither expected the conversation to go quite like this.

"**Of **_**course **_**I knew- but I thought…" **All his anger was self-contained, fighting inside and choking his words. **"I thought you had a plan, an inkling of an idea. How do you… not understand? You were a Sage! And yet you… how **_**could**_** you?!" **

With his hands still stuck in the furniture like a rake into leaves, Jin threw back his head and heaved his arms apart- ripping the desk asunder and sending shrapnel through most of the glass windows. Shards fell from their frames like snowflakes while the Grimm stalked even closer to Ozpin. The man, now forced to stand, cautiously backed away.

"Jin, think about what you're doing. You don't want to make a mista-"

"**A mistake? **_**You tried to destroy Chakra!"**_With the destroyed desk out of the way, his hand reached out towards his father-figure with the leathery palm facing the ceiling. It was as if he were begging answers like alms from the emptyhanded headmaster. **"'The world's last Sage', said to be the greatest in the line. And what do you do with that power? You pervert it, fracture it, upset the perfect balance. Everything- **_**this is all your fault! **_**Aura!****Faunus! Grimm! ME! You created it all!" **

Ozpin hung his head. How long had Jin known? How long had the headmaster known that this would someday catch up to him? And yet he continued to live knowing that in the centuries hence nothing he could do would make up for it. If anyone had a right to serve deliverance, it was this Grimm- this twisted, half-man half-beast no longer part of any world and yet…

"…I know what I have done. Just as I know it can never be forgiven."

If he was to face death, Ozpin took a breath that he would be satisfied to know was his last and then looked his creation- his son. He stared into Jin's crimson eyes that still reminded the man of another. "I made a mistake. At the time, I believed Chakra caused too much of an inequality in the world. After the War, the Great Nations were indeed at peace. But it was inevitable that differences would arise; those who could wield Chakra lauded it above the one's who couldn't. Humans treated one another like separate species, fear on one side, contempt on the other. This is where the lines were drawn for a new type of conflict. Not just a Shinobi World War, but one which held the fate of all sentient life on the planet.

"I thought that if I could eradicate or somehow negate the usefulness of Chakra, there would be no reason to fight." Fighting to laugh, if he'd been any more cynical, Ozpin might have. If he'd been any closer to the edge, his tears would have fallen like raindrops on Beacon's lawn. "Even if I was a Sage, I was naïve back then. I dreamt of finishing the peace Uzumaki and Uchiha started. But now I understand that humans will always find a reason to fight. There will always be disparity and injustice.

"But all the same, that doesn't give us the right to wash our hands of it. In exchange for the enjoyments of life we are responsible for seeing that goodness passed down. In exchange for the freedom of choice, we are responsible for making the right ones."

"**And what if it were impossible?" **It was impossible- but like the scent of rain, there was a whiff of hope in Jin's question. Ozpin had expected a scoff of contempt, a swift blow like a lightning bolt from the heavens which would cast down his corporeal optimism into the ground where it belonged. **"What if there **_**were **_**no right choice, and all your efforts amounted to nothing more than a hamster running in a wheel for the rest of your eternity?" **

And now Jin expected him… to what? To argue? To fight to the grave for this belief? Or perhaps… he wanted Ozpin to cradle his artifact of a head like a babe in a papoose and assure him that 'daddy would fix everything'?

No, Ozpin would- could do no such thing.

"If it were true…" And he smiled with the slyness that comes with knowing something the other doesn't- even though Ozpin himself was as lost in the cycle. "Well then, at the end of eternity I suppose you get to say, 'I told you so'."

The irony was not lost on the two immortals. But it was with all sincerity Ozpin extended his hand and waited for what indeed felt like an eternity.

The sun rose and plunged straight into a sea of clouds where it was squeezed like a lemon, acid hiss of rain dribbling on the carpet and Ozpin's calves. And even though none of it reached the Grimm, his shoulders were slouched like he had been wading through a downpour of lead.

The standoff ended with a harrumph which sounded like a whimper. Jin turned his back on the open invitation.

"**Do you take me for the fool who waits faithfully for his gratification in the never-after?" **Stepping over the shards of furniture like tamped grass, Jin grabbed his new set of robes from the couch. It was a deep burgundy affair that looked like it had been tailored from surplussed velvet curtains and dyed with his bathwater. **"Comeuppance will be within this lifetime. I will **_**fix **_**those braying hounds in the White Fang, so you needn't worry. And in return…" **

A gust ruffled Jin's cloak as he turned to look back, a silken handkerchief waving goodbye to a soldier, off to war. The wind howled, and to Ozpin sounded like his own ghost- no, not his, _hers!_ Though she was still frozen in stasis, he could hear Amber's plaintiff moans like an uprooted tree. He could see her anguish divined in the crimson crystal balls staring back at him.

"… _**you put that bitch downstairs out of her misery!" **_

Then Jin stormed out, the weather seemingly leaving with him, along with the haunting cries of a woman and an earth that had already died.

The room stilled, and Ozpin stood frozen atop the mulch of his once-proud desk. He sighed. An icy breeze rolled in like a wave with white froth lapping against his fingertips. Turning towards the open window, Ozpin looked out at the bleak, winter horizon which seemed to stretch on forever with no Spring in sight.

"Huh… it's snowing."

* * *

"Here,"

"What is this?"

It wasn't that Pyrrha had no clue what she was looking at. Practically the entire school had heard about what transpired over Winter Break, but JNPR was one of the few to hear the _true _story from those who were there, team RWBY dragging themselves back along with the knowledge they had paid so dearly for.

Thus, Pyrrha knew that what she was being presented with was the culminated efforts of not only Blake and her team, but the previous generations of Belladonnas of whom one gave his life for it. Now what she desperately wanted to understand was,

"Why me?"

Because she wasn't someone who would leave others hanging, Pyrrha took the offered data file from Blake, regardless. The terabytes of information transferred Scrolls in a blip, with another low, somber tone to indicate that Blake had erased it from hers.

"Because… I can't." The now-disclosed Cat-Faunus admitted, appearing declawed as she tucked the emptied device under her arm and looked away. There were sunken bags under her eyes and the bow atop her head was wrinkled and seemed to wilt like a diseased flower. "There's just too much going on, what with the Whi- Faunus, and…"

And she obviously didn't want to say more, not in a public place, at least. Despite the halls being nearly empty the first week back from break, it wasn't worth the risk. The student body might accept her Faunus status, but it was best to keep her association to the White Fang out of the picture until all this awfulness was over (whenever that would be).

Pyrrha nodded, accepting the answer like she had the data, but still not fully understanding either.

How could she? Blake was born into an entirely different life- one which Pyrrha was surprised to find herself jealous of. Whatever the past, at least the Faunus girl knew who she was and had long ago decided her purpose.

Deciding that the mysterious Man-Grimm no longer had a part in that purpose, Blake washed her hands of him like Jin was nothing but grime under her fingernails. Meanwhile, the Invincible Girl might only wish to someday do the same.

At least, that's what Pyrrha thought she wanted.

"I promise that I will put this to good use." But the moment the words left her lips, she wanted to disavow them. Why had she said that? There was no way to know whether Kali Belladonna's work contained anything useful, and so to cover the slip she asked, "What will you be doing?"

"The others are being very… supportive," Blake smiled but kept looking away as if ashamed to be happy in her presence. "They understand my position. They also realize the potential danger of this new wave of radicalization and want to help. We might not be able to take the… _problem _head-on, but maybe we can at least fix some of their more extremists views, perhaps even dissuade some of the violence."

It was easy to see that Blake was being uncharacteristically hopeful, probably as backlash to the heartbreaking ordeal she had been put through. But it was hard to deny her this.

"It's good to have friends, isn't it?" Pyrrha presented her fellow first-year with a smile, unintentionally hoping that her feelings were reciprocated in turn. "You know, you can always ask us to help as well. I gather that Nora is always up for an adventure and would drag Ren along for the ride. While Jaune might not be the bravest, but he's not the type to let you down in a tough situation. And me, well…"

Pyrrha wasn't one to promote herself, nor would she outright beg for the opportunity but-

"-That's alright. I wouldn't want to bother you."

But the redhead was more bothered by this response than she would have been a cry for help. The cherub glow in her face disappeared as her cheekbones tightened, and her emerald eyes grew dark as they delved into Blake's quick refusal.

"You… don't _want _me to help…" All of a sudden Pyrrha felt sick to her stomach, clutching the Scroll to her chest like a compress over a bleeding wound. "Because of our deal you think that I'm… what? Biased? A Liability? Contaminated?"

"-No! That's not it, I-"

"-But it's true." Each word was like a self-inflicted stab, and Blake could only open her mouth in the horror that any sane person would have felt seeing someone so injure themselves. "I'd only be a hindrance if I were to hang around you and the others. It would give Jin an excuse to interfere."

Distancing herself from her fellow student, with a shake of the head Pyrrha wondered whether she even belonged in the same school as RWBY and the rest. She felt less like a huntress and more like a leaper.

"Don't worry, it's my own fault. A silly mistake." Giving Blake a smile that was like a body being stretched over a rack, Pyrrha took a deep breath and tried to apply her own bandage. "And I'll take care of it. Maybe I can even be of use to you, I can be a distraction so that he won't-"

"No!" The halls were unheated, and Blake's expression echoed far like a stone skipped over a frozen like. But then it bounced back and rattled her bones with a shiver. "… I'm not as strong as you. That's why.

"To be honest, I… I couldn't even get past the introduction," Blake confessed, a child admitting they'd skipped out on chores. "It's not that I don't understand my mom's translations just… I don't _want _to understand.

"I mean… what if it's true? What if there really is a connection to those stories? What would that make Jin? The Villain? The _Good Guy_?" Blake shivered again and rubbed the cheap polyester cloth of the Beacon's uniform, wishing she'd thought to wear something over it- actually, wishing she'd never gotten out of bed that morning. "Either way, whatever the explanation… I'm afraid of an explanation. I'm afraid of him suddenly making sense, of him no longer being just a slobbering monster but becoming a person- someone I can actually _relate _to."

Just admitting this, Blake realized she was little different than the racists who saw Faunus as something entirely separate from humans. There was a different culture, yes, different standards, but did they really deserve to get taxonomically separated just based on a bushy tail or a tendency to believe in superstition?

Blake had a hard-enough time understanding her fellow Faunus sometimes, let alone Humans- let alone the inhuman monstrosity who was as bitter as the most grizzled Dust miner. But what if her mother's translation revealed the true nature of the Grimm? What if it was a guide which detailed step by step Jin's descent into demonism?

"…If I can understand, I might forgive him. And I don't want to." With Scroll still in her hand, the screen bent around her tensing bicep. "I hate him."

She wanted to hate him. And again, this was something that Pyrrha just couldn't quite understand, but accepted with a nod anyway.

Another thing she neither fully grasped nor expected was when Blake leapt at her, latched onto the taller redhead as if her height would save her from drowning in the floodwaters that had snuck up on them.

Just as the consummate warrior could not cry, neither could the Faunus let others see as she buried her shame in Pyrrha's tensed shoulders. This was something they shared, and Pyrrha could also comprehend why Blake picked her. It was because she was an outsider, the river of tears would stop with her and never return to her team.

And without any guarantee that the gesture would be returned, Pyrrha awkwardly comforted the woman who was clearly barely clinging to sanity. She gently patted her back like a drum with one hand, while she stared at the ancient storybook contained in the other.

"…Oh no,"

Pyrrha blinked and noticed that Blake was peering over her shoulder with jaundiced eyes. The two quickly separated, allowing the redhead to turn and regard whatever it was Blake balked at.

It was Jin.

It was obvious, even though neither of them had noticed just how close they were to the headmaster's private elevator, these days the sight of the Grimm-Man in the halls shouldn't have been that much of a shock. Yet there was a disconnect, something about the setting or his harried appearance made the meeting strange.

Jin wasn't even trying to disguise his walk as he lumbered down the halls- heck, he was still fumbling with the knot on his robes like some unwieldy senior citizen suffering from dementia and muttering to himself about days long gone.

Pyrrha and Blake were both aghast, scandalized as if his protruding rib bones were something lewd and to be ashamed of. They were frozen as he approached and appeared at first not to recognize them, another sign of senility.

But his eyes were as sharp as ever, flicking at them along with his bushel of tails which were refusing to behave. As he spied them, he let the belt drop from his undisguised claws.

"**Well, well, hello ladies," **

Though as he took but one step off his warpath, he was made to pause in surprise as Pyrrha beat him to it. She bridged the gap with as few purposeful strides and grabbed either lapel of his kimono. She folded the flaps like a parachute rigger, wrangling lines of tails underneath and tying them down with an expert knot.

Perhaps a bit tight. Under the sound of cloth straining like a bow string, Pyrrha paused with both ends in her hands and looked up at Jin.

He stared back down at her, and she expected some lecherous remark to come from the slack-jaw hanging there like a mounted cow-skull. Probably something about shibari or S&M.

"**Hn," **-But he just grunted, stepping away from her grip and turning his gaze to Blake. **"What's up, my little Neko? No love for your **_**Uncle**_**?" **

"_You_…" Blake hissed with a straight face, not blinking as the sound startled a couple sleepy students who had just turned the corner into the hall. "…I have nothing to say to you."

"**Aww, come now, don't be like that, Kitty-Cat" **Jin came up to her, gait once again as innocuous as cancer. **"After all, I'm the only **_**family **_**you got left." **

"I would rather be alone."

And just like that, Blake left, giving Jin the cold shoulder like she had given Pyrrha the codex of stories. Having delivered her hostile greeting, she left him standing there as lost as a ventriloquist without a puppet.

The two students passing by on their way to breakfast skirted wide around the man who stood like an obnoxious statue in the harbor. They pressed themselves to the far wall and hurried when they heard him start to growl.

As soon as they vanished around the opposite corner, Jin turned around to face Pyrrha who had just opened her mouth.

"**And just what the **_**hell**_** do you want?"**

Honestly, Pyrrha didn't know, and against all reason asked,

"What do you?"

An almost whisper, he might not have even heard past the scoff which billowed his shroud like a stagehand moving around behind the curtains. And Pyrrha watched him stalk off without another word, not sure what to make of the especially strange encounter.

Nor indeed, what to make of the familiar kanji which stained the back of his brand-new threads like a child's crayon drawing on the wall. The ancient symbol for fire had become as ingrained in her mind as a religious icon and, against his denial, one she associated with the demi-Grimm.

But it too disappeared, and Pyrrha was left alone with the thoughts and hopes of perhaps hundreds of people long dead and gone. She looked to the first file on her Scroll, knowing that she might read through them all and gain nothing just like a day wasted training by herself.

But seeing as she was alone, she clicked on the first chapter and delved head-first into the pallid blue light of the past.

* * *

"'**Oh Shukaku! We can't tell you how nice it is to see you again! It's been **_**ages**_** since we were all together- you look great, have you lost weight?' Why yes, I think I have! Thanks for noticing. And it's a pleasure to see you all as well, I was beginning to miss my brothers and sisters in the hellish nonexistence we were condemned to when we all had the foolish notion to entrust the fate of the universe in the hands of that dumb-ass Fox's Jinchῡriki. But hey! That snooty brother of ours isn't here yet, so we might as well enjoy this opportunity to do some good, old-fashioned family bonding what'd'ya say?!" **

Nothing. Nothing was said, not a noise except for the shrieks of the shooting stars as they clashed and exploded, lighting up the sober expressions of the other Tailed Beasts.

"…**Seriously?" **The tanuki deflated like a souffle at the silence- literally, Shukaku's presence had stretched the limits of the dream-world's physics more than the frown on his puffed-out, cartoonish cheeks. **"Nothing? Not even a 'oh, it's you'? You guys suck." **

"**Saiken is happy to see Shukaku," **the slug chimed up, at the very least showing that the static scene wasn't another 'glitch' such as they'd been experiencing lately.

"**Sorry to say, Saiken, but that really doesn't mean much coming from you." **There wasn't even a rumble as Shukaku sat down on the textureless turf, and the absolute _fakeness _of the soil as he tried to rake it with his fingers made him almost as sad as the treatment he was receiving from his own _family _(granted, they had all agreed to go to opposite ends of the globe before being forcibly brought back together because they couldn't _stand _each other). **"Heck, you'd probably greet **_**Madara **_**with milk and cookies if he showed up… and if you had any milk and cookies. Hey! Why don't we have anything? This is supposed to be the consciousness of a Jinchῡriki, right? Well, can't we call the landlord down here to do some sprucing up? And while we're at it, I'd like to discuss my living arrangements. The neighbors here are just the wors-"**

"**Would you just shut up?!" **Whereas Son Goku had needed a good while to adjust to their abnormal surroundings, it would figure that the infamously insane Shukaku would dive right in- and he hadn't stopped talking since. **"Did it ever occur to you, you stupid racoon, that we are angry at you?!" **

"**Speak for yourself," **Matatabi yawned, claws sliding like skis as she tried to stretch and turn over on her other side. **"I was just napping." **

"**Me?!" **Meanwhile, Shukaku was legitimately wounded by this declaration of animosity. Prior sarcasm aside, he had been grateful to be reunited with his siblings and sanity (as much of it he'd previously possessed, that is). And given that he was still sorting through those memories, he struggled to see why he deserved such treatment. **"What did I do? I just got here!" **

"**Exactly!" **Son slammed a fist into the earth- for all it was worth, it neither echoed against the rock walls nor even put a dent in the dirt and increasingly fake-looking grass that was more akin to pre-teen's drawn-on chest hair. **"You and your damned eccentrics ruined everything! Jin had been making actual progress with those girls- but then your propensity for madness convinced him to have 'fun' at the expense thousands of innocent lives!" **

"**What?!" **The tanuki was taken aback, and even the other Tailed Beasts found some pity in his horrified expression. But with his newfound elastic properties, Shukaku bounced back and stated just as heatedly, **"Oh, no, you're not blaming this one on me! While I do feel kind of bad about how my body behaved- though that's mostly 'cause I wasn't the one having fun with it- whatever Mr. Manic-Depressive did is all on him!" **

"**But Jin is a chimera based on all our characters!" **Son argued, resorting to beating his chest like a battle drum because of their surroundings' lack of response. **"As such, we are **_**all **_**responsible for his personality, at least until we are reunited with our own. Excluding Matatabi, everyone here shares the guilt of slaughtering those Atlesian soldiers. There is little solace in knowing that they attacked us first- but it was **_**your **_**body that Jin was after when he lost control!"**

"**So?! All that means is that he can't handle Shukaku!" **Parodying the primate, Shukaku slapped his engorged belly to try and incite his brother. Of course, Son couldn't act on his instinct to maul the racoon- and he wondered if this wasn't a deliberate manipulation by the One-Tails. Though that might be giving Shukaku too much credit. **"If this really is the same kid who kicked my ass in the Chῡnin Exams, then he lost control because he **_**wanted **_**to!" **

Choking back his rage, Son found he had no retort for that. The fact was that he trusted Naruto- he wanted to put his faith in the boy, but at the same time, had to admit his fallibility if blaming Shukaku was going to work. You couldn't have it both ways.

"**Madness works in insidious ways," **Tongue holed up in his mouth like his head inside his shell for most of the conversation, Isobu chose that pause to interject his wisdom on the matter. **"Even the best of us can be fooled into believing that what we are doing is right and just, and then you take a second to tally the dead and find out that **_**something doesn't quite add up**_**." **

Not immediately following up on this statement, not one of the other Tailed Beasts was willing to interrupt their brother. No one would question Isobu's intimate experience with being under a maddening spell, and he knew better than most of them just how _persuasive _Madara could be.

"**I won't say that being under the Uchiha's illusion was the same as our out-of-mind experience," **The Three-Tails retreated in on himself- not in his shell, but into the memories that he'd carefully set aside like an ugly yearbook photo the moment he'd rediscovered them. **"That was easier, because we **_**weren't **_**in control. But back then, with Yagura, I remember feeling… vindicated. Exalted! At having murdered thousands of people who'd never so much as **_**thought **_**about me. Such was Madara's ability to manipulate the truth.**

"_**I **_**can easily see how someone like Naruto could have his wires crossed. From what little I knew of him, he was easy-going, a fun guy to be around." **They all nodded- except for Son who refused to participate in what sounded like a eulogy. But he wouldn't interrupt the soft-spoken turtle, especially since he seemed to be agreeing with him. **"-And honorable. I don't think that we can deny anymore that he's doing the right thing by making us whole again. Because like Kurama's hatred, our natures can corrupt him and turn his lightheartedness into sadism. And from there, Madara might even have a chance to woo him with his twisted idea of 'peace."**

"**That's why if you'd only shown some restraint-!" **No longer able to restrain himself, Son was held back by Saiken and a half-hearted Isobu who was still so wrapped up with his own unease that he only devoted one tail to the effort.

"**-Says the hairy **_**human**_**!" **Shukaku spat, forgetting that the insult no longer carried the weight it used to. **"What would you have me do? I can't change my personality like a hairdo!"**

"**You're made of sand, you stupid Tanuki!" **Son raged, the sky above them seeming to take on the emotions of their argument and exploding in iridescence. **"You can change shape!" **

"**Exactly!" **The racoon hopped up and down, rocked back and forth on his heels like a kid who was enjoying the fireworks show up above. **"I'm a Tanuki, because that's the way Father made me! And he said that we were perfect just the way we are!" **

"**Personally, I feel that you could stand to have a mute button installed," **Matatabi drawled, deigning to crack an eye and glare at the assembly. Though one might wonder why she didn't simply go to either end of the barbell gulch and leave her siblings to their contentions. **"Maybe they can perform that surgery at the same time as the lobotomy." **

"**Then we'd just have to deal with two of them," **Kokuo sighed, tired of dealing with the multiple, volatile personalities. In truth, he wondered whether Isobu was wrong, whether they _deserved _to exist- and if that were the case, then it called into question everything they had taken for gospel: the Sage's perfection, Naruto's plan for peace, even the possibility that the evil underlying all of this wasn't really Kagu-

"**-Oh, just go lie back down," **Feeling like he was being ganged up on all sides, Shukaku turned to the cat and barked at her. **"You're much easier to deal with when you're asleep!" **

"**Watch it racoon!" **-Not quite as slothful as she'd been pretending, the Two-Tails snapped open her eyes only for them to be engulphed in white light brighter than the sun they hadn't seen in ages. **"You'd do well to be nice to your **_**sister**_**," **A single word which sent a chill up all their non-existent spines, even Matatabi seemed to cool slightly as she had the others cowed. **"Besides… I agree with you on this one." **

Everything seemed to stop, even the lightshow overhead became nothing but a sun-shadow on the back of their eyelids as they blinked in unison at the fuming feline.

"… **Oh, would you all just grow up?" **She growled, shaking her head in disbelief at the notion that her brothers thought so lowly of her. **"He might be insane and annoying as hell, but once in a blue moon the Bastard Racoon can be right." **

"**Hey… thanks?" **

"**You're welcome," **Her smirk turned to more of a snarl as she regarded the rest, tired of them doing nothing but bickering about things that couldn't be changed. **"I agree that our 'Jinchῡriki' needs to take responsibility for himself- But the fact is that it doesn't matter one way or another. What's done is done and we all have our share of guilt. Whether or not we were in control of our bodies when they went on a rampage, it was our fault in the first place for the decisions which made it possible. **

"**And just like we have to live with that guilt, the Kid's going to have to live with whatever Jin manages to fuck up when and **_**if **_**he ever comes back as the sunny little saint you all seem to remember him as." **Matatabi huffed and settled back down, hopefully to actually get some rest this time. **"I didn't get much of a chance to know him either. But I can tell you one thing… he's human. A good one, maybe, but certainly not perfect, no more than we are." **

With one half-lidded eye she scanned the other five, daring them to speak up and condemn themselves by arguing.

Instead, they looked at one another; anger, frustration, even the desire to forgive were so much more visceral than this fake world they found themselves trapped in. These feelings carved into their false-reality lines in the sand which were both as invisible and important as lines of code, dividing them inexorably.

"**You've been awfully quiet," **In the absence of Shukaku's incessant chatter, Son found that the silence reminded him too much of the time of non-being. Arguing at least meant that they were _doing, thinking_. And the way he saw it, the score was tied two-for-two, so he looked towards the one who had yet to weigh in. **"What do you think, Kukuo?" **

"… **I agree with Matatabi," **After a long time to think, the Five-Tails was quick to follow up before Son Goku could blow his lid. **"-That this isn't a simple matter where we can just assign blame and be done with it. We are all culpable in our own way, and justice cannot be polarized into black vs. white, or red vs blue," **

Kokuo looked with a knowing smirk to the azure cat who had once again left her slumber to stare at both him and the ape who was flushing crimson trying to hold in his chagrin.

"**-But rather than say it doesn't matter, I feel it means we all have a stake in what happens. We are all out of sorts, on edge, frustrated because it seems that we can do nothing to change our situation." **Lamenting the lack of milk and cookies, a nice cave where one could curl up, an open field where he could at last stretch his legs and let his tails drag in the air like a kite, these were just the nostalgic feelings Kukuo didn't want to focus on. **"And yet… this world is ours, 'made by our decisions'. I believe Father didn't create us to be perfect for the very reason that there would be no room for hope in an ideal. So it is with our Jinchῡriki. Hardly perfect, but, perhaps, he could become a symbol of this new world's hope."**

Despite Kukuo's hopes, Matatabi's snort of contempt and Son's retaliatory baring of teeth made his speech's effect extraordinarily short-lived.

"**There is a difference between being hopeful and being naïve, brother," **Son might have appreciated the Five-Tail's philosophizing in comparison to Matatabi's laziness and Shukaku's insanity, but it often held no place in reality. **"I never believed Jin would become anything close to how Naruto-boy once was. No, I thought that a healthy relationship with those huntresses would **_**help him**_**, rather than him lending his strength to fix this appropriately-named 'Remnant'." **

Sighing, the Four-Tailed Ape turned around and began to amble away from the circle they had been posted in, off towards one of the valley's non-existent corners.

"**The best we can hope for not is for Jin to finish his self-imposed mission, and then… as you say, **_**we'll see**_**." **

And with that, the Four-Tails walked out of sight, his red fur turning blue in the twilight landscape with only the occasional flash from above making him look like an old silverback whose forest had disappeared in place of a strip mall.

"**Well… ah, screw it, I'm done talkin' to you guys." **Like the monkey he had so recently been arguing with, Shukaku made his way to the opposite end of the gulch, suddenly remembering why he preferred to live in the desert away from his siblings.

With only a slight nod of sympathy, Isobu retired to his shell and Saiken slithered in indecisive circles for a bit before disappearing in the same direction as the Tanuki (probably the better choice, given the Ape's antisocial propensities).

Which left…

"**The truth is, I wouldn't mind if you were right," **The cat craned her neck over her shoulder blade which was pointed like a mountain's peak. **"I know, it's cliché for the cat to play devil's advocated, but Son's too hard-headed, Saiken's too nice, Shukaku's too… Shukaku, and you're too much of a stick in the mud." **Matatabi grinned, **"Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, either. We all have our flaws. I suppose mine's pride. **

"…**I'd like it if I could have pride in my Jinchῡriki again." **The Nibi confessed, curling back up and sticking her nose into the fold of her arm.

And rather than remain obstinate, for once, Kukuo decided that the supposedly lazy cat had the right idea.

"**If you can't beat them…" **

Bending at the knee, Kukuo lay down against the homogeneous ground and joined his sister in slumber.


	15. Castle of Glass

**Halooo again mein kamaraden. Yes, it has been a while. I will not apologize (too much) for my life which takes precedence, but I will marvel at those which can somehow manage both life and leisure (who really needs health, anyway?). One reason this chapter took so long (apart from the umpteen midterms and other mind-numbing tasks I had on my plate) was because I was trying to do this segment as one chapter... yeah, not working. So, sorry for leaving you with a cliffhanger, but I can say that I will be concentrating my efforts on hammering out part 2 ASAP. I just really figured you guys deserved to hear something from me after all this time. **

**Bitte und danke schon, auf wiedersehen!**

* * *

"How awful…"

It had started out as a nice day.

It had started out as a nice street, lined with shops and trees whose branches had been carefully trimmed away from colorful pinstriped awnings, allowing them to yawn over a crack-free sidewalk. Unpretentious signs written in cursive and comic sans hung like fruits in the gaps, and freshly varnished benches sat facing a view of the entire brickwork promenade.

Today, in the early morning light the buildings appeared slumped over, ravished. An underhanded blow during the night left them breathless, their glass displays shattered like fractured ribs and faces written over with crude graffiti like permanent marker on an unsuspecting drunk. The footpath remained unblemished, but one could hardly tell as it was plastered over in a monochrome mosaic of glittering shards.

Awful wasn't quite the right word, but tragedy was perhaps too much. Regardless, the others knew what Ruby meant because they felt the same. The sight was symptomatic of the dramatic irony that now shadowed their lives, a warning of what could be and premonition of what was to come.

It was such a waste.

"It's already all over the news, the Media's having a field day," Weiss scowled, scuffed her heel on a perfect isosceles triangle which glared up at her like the flashes of paparazzi. It skittered back underneath the too bright police cordon which was stretched as thin as a gold wire up and down the boulevard. "They're calling it, 'Night of the Broken Glass,'*."

The fragment she had kicked joined the thousands of others. It became another flake in the powdery-clear coating which was, sadly, becoming more common than snow.

"It's only the beginning." Blake mentioned dutifully- despondently as she looked at the pro-Faunus propaganda and debris which littered the walls and streets. She could see the writing on the wall.

Why did it have to remind her of the chamber, though?

"Hmph," Things were backwards, and Blake's partner was the one who was unusually recalcitrant and quiet. But Yang made her mood known well enough with her body protesting in micro-twitches like semaphore, letting others know it was dangerous to approach.

"I suppose it was bound to happen," Bailing out the tension on her end, Weiss sighed, "A few years ago I remember something similar happened in Atlas, except that it was Faunus establishments which were targeted and ransacked."

"I'm sure that wasn't the only occasion," Though she hadn't meant to snub Weiss, Blake didn't look back as she began to wander down the street. Rather than aloof, her attention was focused on every scar and defacement like the letters and names etched on a memorial stone. "We- Faunus have been putting up with this sort of thing for a long time."

"Yes," Weiss admitted, following their resident expert with something less than enthusiasm. They had started out this morning hoping to gauge the tensions between humans and Faunus, if not to help assuage it. Now… "Which was why I said… it was bound to happen, eventually. Even in a place as progressive as Vale, sometimes… the only option is to use force."

"I don't believe that." While Ruby obviously wasn't in her normal spirits, it was good to know they could still count on her beliefs.

"Perhaps not," Blake accepted like she accepted her temporary role, leading this venture, "I doubt most of the Faunus in Vale would be prone to this sort of violence on their own. It's all the hateful rhetoric and rumors being spread by the White Fang."

But that didn't really absolve the others, did it? Everyone was responsible for their own actions, or lack thereof. Even her.

"Are we even sure that they're behind it?" Weiss raised an eyebrow at an especially officious depiction of- was that supposed to be her? It was even labeled 'death to Shnee'. But the drawing seemed almost too comical for her to believe that it was done in hate. "I mean, couldn't this all just be the work of an anti-Faunus group that wants to defame the White-Fang? Or maybe it _is_ those hooligans, but them alone, and they're just trying to get the rest of Vale's Faunus caught up in their scheme?"

"It's… possible." Before, Blake wouldn't have thought it possible for the 'Schnee' to distinguish between White Fang and normal Faunus- let alone stick up for their innocence. But- if it were to be believed- something good had actually come out of their shared tragedy.

"Or, this could _all_ be a cover so that they can rob more Dust without attention."

Yang spoke up after her prolonged silence, pointing their attention across the street.

It looked just like every other shop that had been ravaged along the thoroughfare: windows smashed, signage covered over with crude graffiti, and contents cast out onto the sidewalk like a prolapsed uterus.

It was like all the others- except, they knew this shop. Its name lived in legend as the place, where- for better or worse- it had all started:

From Dust 'till Dawn

While there had been other instances of looting, here it was clearly the intent. The shelves had been stripped clean, laying half-in half-out of the broken window where light streamed in and showed RWBY the utter barrenness inside, graffiti only added on as a hasty afterthought. It reminded them of post-Apocalyptic films- an omen that made everything seem all the worse.

"But wasn't it Roman Torchwick who was stealing the Dust before?" The thought of a lone villain, a simple _human_ would be a relief compared to the horrors they had already witnessed and the faceless rage of a revolution. Weiss tried to picture his smirking mugshot posted up on the wall, but found it almost as unrealistic as the satire of herself. "I doubt that the White Fang would stoop to associating with the likes of _him_."

"But, what if they did…?"

Stranger things had already happened. Lately, what was probable often had no bearing on what was possible- and then Reality came in and jackbooted over both as it rewrote what they knew to be true.

"Then, that's all the more reason we need to stop them."

However, it was still true that the simplest answer tended to be the best. And suddenly, Ruby's simplistic views no longer resembled naivety. Rather, a way forward- the only way forward.

"Alright," Weiss indulged, injecting a small dose of reality, "So, what if there is collusion? What then? Roman doesn't seem like kingpin material to me, and It's not like removing him would make the problem go away."

"No, but actually being able to beat up on someone who deservesit would sure make **me** feel better."

It was already simple in Yang's mind: there were things she could and those she couldn't do. And for too long she'd been unable to defend what was important to her. Sure, beating up on Roman might only be cathartic, but it was better than nothing.

"He's also an obvious target, unlike the White Fang who can hide among the general public," Blake brainstormed, agreeing with her partner for completely different reasons. "Regardless, taking down a known criminal can't really be considered a bad thing. But if he does happen to be working with them-"

"- Then we can get some info outa him!" A sudden clap on the shoulder scared Blake out of her thoughts, and the almost manic eagerness of Yang's declaration frightened the rest. "Don't worry, Blakey, if Roman rubbed shoulders with any of your old _work buddies_, I'll get 'im to talk, _one way or another_."

"Not that I doubt your enthusiasm," in fact, it distressed Weiss almost as much as anything else that day, "But what if he really doesn't know anything? Then we're back at square one when it comes to the White Fang. And even then, what are we supposed to do to stop them?"

"-Whatever we have to," Blake had to physically pry her partner's fingers of her shoulders, breaking free and pressing one of her own to her lips in a shush. "Everything one step at a time- In the meantime, there's no sense arguing about it _out here in the open_."

As she said this, they strolled past two plain-clothes police officers who were also engaged in a heated argument. From what they overheard, the two had been burning the midnight oil looking for suspects and evidence. RWBY empathized.

Moreover, they appreciated the officer's obliviousness to the huntress' own conversation. Though from then on, they kept their volumes to a minimum, and their time spent within earshot even less.

"Even still…" Even then, Weiss couldn't remain silent. Because for every worry that remained unspoken, there were another dozen she knew she was overlooking. "There is still one more _immediate _problem that we need to think about: how do we find Roman? Even if Yang is right and they're using the riots as a cover for their operations, it doesn't necessarily mean that the two events will happen in the same place."

Heaving a sigh that almost became a yawn with how tired she felt, Weiss elaborated.

"Blake, you said that there was supposed to be a pretty big demonstration going on tonight, right? Well… yesterday I happened to look into my _father's _files, and I found out there is a significant shipment of Dust scheduled to arrive in Vale harbor _at the same time_."

The team of four stopped walking within sight of the public piers, a tiny sliver of blue between tall buildings that were sticking their noses up at the disarray below.

"How large are we talking?" Using the reflection off a rather large chunk of broken glass that had made it all the way down there, Blake looked around to see that they were well and truly alone before she acknowledged the Schnee.

"I'd say… _proportionate _to the rally."

"Big enough that it can't really be ignored, huh?" And though they had Yang's attention, her sister seemed to be ignoring their impromptu meeting. All that morning Ruby's attention seemed split like the light down the middle of the road. "Tch, as sure as I am that I can handle Roman on my own, probably not a good idea to split our forces, right, captain?... Ruby?"

"Huh?" Reacting only to the inflection of concern, Ruby blinked away the glassy look in her eyes and gazed at her team. "Sorry guys, what was that-?"

"Ha, ha! Too slow!"

It was hard to tell what suddenly whizzed by them at first. But then the Monkey Faunus stopped to gloat, scurrying up a lamppost and leering back at his pursuers. His carelessness was in stark contrast to the somber fog which hung around town, just as surely as his sunny blond hair was opposed to the dark matters which occurred during the night.

"Get back here you- you _creature_!"

Two men dressed in quintessential sailor garb followed closely to this farce, waving their fists impotently and hurling trite insults at the too-clever rapscallion. The young man chortled as if self-aware of the cliché.

"Ooh, I've _never _heard that one before," Swinging around the perpendicular bar with all the grace of a professional gymnast, the Faunus flung the remains of his snack at the two limeys as if critiquing their performance. "Seriously, I came to Vale to see something new. If this's the best you can do then-"

***BANG, BANG! * **

The last bite of banana in the teen's hand exploded and he toppled over like the target in a carnival arcade game, landing flat on the ground in what continued to be an almost surreal scene.

"Oi… you shot me!" And yet, he was apparently uninjured apart from a questionable lack of dignity. Prying himself face-first off the pavement, he pointed accusingly at the two police officers who had followed RWBY down from the shopping street. "-With live ammo! Dude, did you even know I had Aura?"

"Would've made our job a lot easier if you didn't," Swaggering up with his sidearm still drawn and ready, the first plainclothes cop took one hand off his controlled grip to fish out his handcuffs. "Now, are you going to come quietly, or do we have to see how many rounds you can take?"

"Woah, woah, woah, man, there's been some kind of misunderstanding," Though the teen apparently knew exactly what to do, standing excruciatingly slow with his hands in plain sight, clearly- sadly- used to this. "I'm a student huntsman just in here from Vacuo, hopin' to attend the Vytal tournament in a few months. Here, I've got my ID if you'd just let me take it out…"

"Hey, hey! Don't move! Shit, kid! If he's really a huntsman, then he's probably armed!"

"Shouldn't you have confirmed that _before _you shot me? Least you could do is give me a chance to prove my innocence, I'm just tryin' to - crap! Where is it? Oh man, don't tell me I left it in my room-"

"Damnit! Didn't you hear me? Alright, I admit I might have been a bit hasty before, but quit movin' or else I swear I'm gonna-"

"That's enough!"

Both officers brought their weapons to bear on the newcomer. It was obvious they were wrung out from a long night on the beat, fueled only by caffeine and the need for accountability. But this mattered little to the woman, for she was protected by more than Aura, and armed with something more potent than the rapier on her hip.

"And just _what _do you think you are doing?" Weiss asked rhetorically, resurrecting her arrogant persona for this occasion. Her sister might have been better with a cutlass, but Weiss was perfectly capable of saber-rattling. "How _dare _you point those at me- lower your weapons! Unlike this buffoon, it should be perfectly _obvious _that **I** am a huntress."

She swept her hand through the air, still several paces away and yet nearly knocked the pistols out of the polices' grips. They hid their chagrin behind mirrored shades, lowering their sidearms nonetheless.

"Com'on kid, you're obviously still just another student. If you weren't, you'd know better than to try and muscle in on our jurisdiction." And it was just as obvious that the man was unnerved, not only by the small crowd of early birds who were stopping to see the commotion, but by the woman who remained unwavering in her opposition of them. "Look, there was an incident, I thought he had a weapon- and he did, so I'm well within my rights to use lethal force."

"An 'incident'? Hardly. We were standing here and saw the whole thing. It's because he's a Faunus, and even if you managed to mistake a piece of fruit for a weapon, _surely _you noticed that. Or do those sunglasses cloud your judgment as well as your vision?"

"Hey, best watch _yourself_ girlie, or else we'll book you too." The first cop threatened. Though he had yet to say a word, the second didn't seem likely to back his partner up on this- in fact, he looked like he had come to a silent revelation as he reached out tentatively to restrain his fellow officer. "Why don't you head on back up to your castle on the top of the hill, princess? Aren't they supposed to have etiquette classes on weekends?"

While Weiss stared down this weak insult, the young man gazed up from his seat on the pavement in almost delirious awe. This woman showed no fear of their weapons nor word of law. Screw the blade, she could probably cut both to pieces with a sharp word.

"I will return to Beacon in my own time," The world became her campus as Weiss channeled for Glynda Goodwitch, posing a hand on her hips and glaring contemptuously over the rim of her inextant glasses. "And be sure that when I do, I will be letting _Professor Ozpin _know just how far standards for police have fallen as of late."

Name-dropping the headmaster had the cop almost dropping his guard, but there was no way he'd let this upstart slip of a girl boss him around.

"You wanna hide behind the big man while tryin' to play the adult's game? Can't have it both ways, _little girl_. Besides, who's the headmaster more likely to believe? Two officers of the law, or some stuck-up little twat who-"

"Woah, there man," By that time though, the second cop had holstered his weapon and replaced it in his hand with his partner's tensed shoulder. "You might want to think about who you're talkin' to, the young-lady might have a point."

At first, the senior officer saw this suggestion as another attack at his authority. He was about to treat his subordinate to the same sort of tongue-lashing reserved for lawbreakers, but then he stopped and slowly seemed to recognize the situation.

"… You _do_ know who she is, right?"

"…Right." Jerking his twitchy finger far away from the trigger, the cop replaced his handgun into the leather paddle holster on his right hip. That hand then rubbed the gunpowder stubble over his mouth, hiding mortification. "Fine, but you best watch yourselves- all of you. I hear but a whisper of monkey-boy gettin' into trouble, I'll be comin' to you, Ms. Schnee."

"And if _I _am asked to name any incompetent police officers, I will be sure to point the inquiry in _your_ direction."

Living up to her name in every respect, the Schnee remained cool and collected even as the 'heat' made this parting threat- even as the Faunus stared up at her flabbergasted with his jaw practically dragging on the pavement.

For his part, the foreign student was fine no longer being the center of attention. Although, not being at the center meant he was otherwise lost. Discovering his savior's identity was equivalent to stumbling off his ship into a parallel world where he was the audience, forced to suspend incredulity at what had just happened.

"Dude…" Hopping to his feet, the supposed huntsman shook his gilded head and brushed off his dusty travel clothes, doing the best he could to appear presentable. Although, there was little he could do to clean up his casual speech. "-Er, Dudette, or-um, Ma'am- er, Miss-"

"Weiss. Weiss Schnee." Rolling her eyes, Weiss resigned herself to her title. "Yes, _that _Schnee- _but don't look to far into it._"

-But just because she was forced to wear the moniker didn't mean she was going to let it confine her like a straightjacket.

"Those guys were _totally _out of line, and if I had it my way, they'd be locked up in the stocks, let alone off the police force for good!" Each point she emphasized with a sharp finger-jab to his chest which, while not painful, seemed to puncture his rock-hard abs alongside his ego.

"…That being said, it's obvious you're a troublemaker," While said without even a poke or hint of animosity, it was this accusation which hurt the worst. She had folded her arms, re-sheathing her fingernails and was looking away from the Faunus like he wasn't really there- like how he had _expected _to be treated. "You'd do best not to draw too much attention to yourself while you're here. As you can see, being a student won't protect you. And since you probably haven't heard, the relationship between Faunus and Humans in Vale has been… strained, lately."

"You're telling me," He tried to say this breezily, but he was obviously shaken by the sudden reversal. "I though Vacuo was cutthroat. Not as bad as Atlas, supposedly. But at least back home they give you a fair shake before buryin' ya in the desert."

Weiss winced but refused to be swayed by his guilt-laden grin.

"Then… consider this your fair warning." She moved over to her team who were supportive in silence, turned back to the blond and said, "Truthfully, you seem like a… nice… guy. Which is why you should be careful. _There doesn't seem to be enough of those lately."_

Then, without waiting for a response or even for the rest of her team, Weiss walked away.

"Man, talk about a tsundere…" The teen scratched his head, muttered to himself as his tail swished, just happy to be free of shackles.

"Heh. You'd think so, but even knowing her, she really doesn't get any easier," He thought he'd get along better with his fellow blonde, but she too seemed closed off with arms folded in the same manner as her friend- well, as much as she could with that large a bust. "In fact, I don't think I've seen Weiss be that nice to anyone she's just met. Ah well, just consider yourself lucky."

"Well, on one hand I _almost _get arrested, shot and killed. But then I get rescued by a group of pretty girls..." Weighing his hands, the only thing it earned him was a smirk.

"Then you'd better not push your luck, Weiss might be a little rough, but she's right. Things… aren't great right now." As close to an apology as she'd admit to this stranger, Yang shrugged and looked forlornly up the street. The Faunus followed her gaze and gulped when he caught sight of the destruction. "There's a _reason _there aren't more nice guys. It is a shame… but just know that not everybody in Vale is a complete asshole. Anyway, take care, Cutie- and stay outa trouble."

Then she too moved away, giving him a view of her shapely rear but not even a name to go along with it. Not one to be deterred, the student from Vacuo refocused his sights on the remaining two-

Only to find that the black-haired beauty that had caught his eye earlier was already halfway gone as well, leaving him with as much a sense of mystery as melancholy.

Also, leaving the last girl. She was clearly younger than the others, seemingly out of place- out of reality itself as she stared at him with a far-off look of familiarity, as if they'd met before.

Of course, they hadn't. She was an odd one, for sure, but still clearly belonged to their group.

Which made him wonder… should he say hello? Or would that be weird? Were the others going to come back for her, or was she going to catch up? Furthermore-

"What's your name?"

What was with that look she was giving him? Her silver eyes seemed to come from a reality all of their own, just like her question which was simultaneously directed at and _through _him.

"The name's Sun Wukong," He announced with false bravado and a finger jabbed at his bare chest. But the girl seemed disappointed by this, her frown giving Sun goosebumps. "What-uh, what's yours?"

"Oh- my name is Ruby, Ruby Rose!"

She smiled and the sun seemed to come back, warming everything and lighting up her eyes like a disco ball. Sun relaxed, reassuring himself that the feeling was just leftover tension from his brief interrogation.

"It's nice to meet you. Sorry about- erm, everything…"

"Hardly your fault," He laughed and rubbed the back of his head- an action which seemed to revive that hollow look on her face and made him falter. "Yeah, no worries…"

"Alright, well… so long, friend!"

Looking like she was going to say something else, Ruby waved goodbye and then she too vanished in a flurry of rose-petals, which answered one question but left so many others.

"Huh," Looking around, the Faunus found himself alone for the first time since he arrived in Vale. "They were… cool."

A cold wind blew through his thin cotton shirt and made him shiver. Or maybe, the feeling was because of the emptiness, the fact that the next block down looked so much like a ghost town that Sun half-expected a tumbleweed to cross his path at any moment.

Instead, it was a car which nearly hit him as he stood in the road, screaming past and hurling curses out the driver's-side window. Then a herd of pedestrians stampeded in from across the street, baying about last night's happenings as they continued to sip their morning coffees served to them by Faunus staff. Life came back into the city suddenly and without warning, leaving Sun almost spinning with the abrupt change.

"Weird, but cool,"

He laughed, taking to the rooftops as people flooded the perfect sidewalks, shuffling feet sweeping away the night's last remnants.

But some of the glass was already whisking itself up, pieces breaking backwards until they formed the body of a young woman. She dusted off her rough edges, reached down and retrieved her parasol from the same pile whence she came. Even after the transformation her pink eyes twinkled, and her rosy smile remained as sharp as any of the shards while she skipped away.

Neo knew this was going to be fun.

* * *

Was it really so wrong, wanting to know?

Every instinct she trusted told her finding out would do no harm, yet her gut disagreed. Going behind her team's back left the taste of bile in her mouth and throat. Although, it wasn't like there had been anything **barring** her from sneaking a peak. The others simply agreed that they were better off not reading the journal.

But Ruby did.

It had been too great a temptation. These were the kinds of tales she grew up on, fantasies which forged her idealistic viewpoints. Only, without the 'happily-ever-after' all the rest promised. Rather than disappoint her though, this open-ended plotline prompted her to do better, to exceed the expectations of an imperfect reality.

Now though, the temptation was to see connections everywhere she looked. Like familiar shapes in clouds, she was prone to look at every blond-haired, blue-eyed young man as a storybook hero- or villain, she was still trying to work that one out.

Jin was supposed to be the monster, obviously, but there was also something about that which didn't feel quite right, the same way she at first pegged Jaune as the protagonist (and was unfortunately sorely disappointed on that point).

Then comes along one Sun Wukong and-

"Ow! Watch where you're going, you dunce!"

"Gah! Sorry Weiss!"

"Oh, for the love of- and keep your voice down!" Even as a whisper Weiss's voice was like a dog whistle, causing Ruby to heel and wince like a scolded puppy. "…Sorry, Ruby, but you really can't afford to get distracted right now."

"No, you're right." She shook her head and blinked, dark shapes only barely coming closer into focus. Though she could make out her friend's look of concern well enough. "I need to pay attention."

Not that there was much else to see in that narrow alley. Unlike the trendy shops of uptown and even the subsidized housing more towards center, the commercial ports of Vale were entirely utilitarian. This was where the City made its money, and life was made possible for the multitudes of residents both within the Kingdom and the rest of Remnant. Vale might not have been as gifted as Atlas or even Vacuo in natural resources, but it made up for that by being the center of commerce- both metaphorically and geographically. Its bay was one of the largest, safest, and most accessible in all the Kingdoms. This meant that in the course of a day, scores of shipments were delivered, offloaded, packed up and sent back out to sea in a choreographed routine that had been rehearsed constantly for the past millennia. It was chaos controlled during the working hours which usually lasted from before the break of day until well into the night.

Usually.

Today the sleepless workforce had punched out early and an unbecoming stillness had taken up residence. With the demonstration happening across town, many businesses had decided to call it in early, whether in solidarity or because they were scared of what would happen if they didn't.

By the time team RWBY arrived, the only things to great them were the massive cargo cranes looming like colossal lawn flamingos and a lone, blind seagull which bayed incessantly into the empty night. Even the wooden planks propping up the docks seemed swollen with anticipation, groaning worriedly at each step.

Even though it seemed like her captain was now up and alert, Weiss was worried.

"…Are you sure you're alright, Ruby?" At the risk of opening up that can of worms, her captain had been distracted all day and it was wiser just to double-check before they potentially faced confrontation.

"Y-yeah, fine." Ruby was a terrible liar. She knew it, Weiss knew it, and chances were that the seagull who couldn't tell night from day knew it as well. So, she quickly followed it up with, "…I'm worried about Pyrrha."

This was partly true, and so easier to make believable. But it was the lie of omission which bothered Ruby the most.

She needn't have bothered. Weiss had been paying attention, and her partner's aloof behavior had started well before they went to JNPR for help. Maybe _they_ knew what was up, but Weiss doubted it.

"It was her who volunteered to be the bait, remember?" This was something else Weiss couldn't understand, and the whole thing was getting more and more upsetting as the minutes ticked by without anything happening. "It seemed like she really wanted to help, so Blake said that she should attend the rally and hopefully draw Jin away from us. Meanwhile, we see if the White Fang or Roman goes after the Dust shipment- which should be any minute now."

"Yeah, I know."

And wasn't any of that reason enough to be worried?

"…Yeah."

They again fell into relative silence. Relative, since it was all but futile trying to muffle their footsteps against the ancient wooden pier.

As futile as trying not to think about what Pyrrha was going through right then. She was the only other person who had read the translations in their entirety, and Ruby could only imagine what sort of things she would ask of the Grimm if she got a similar chance.

"Who are you?"

-And there she goes, getting distracted again. Thankfully, it wasn't a security guard or graveyard worker who asked this, but Weiss, stopping cold and gazing straight ahead at something. Ruby squinted her eyes, almost wishing she hadn't when the image came back worse than she imagined.

It was a girl.

-Or perhaps a woman, Ruby didn't want to assume based on shadowy glimpses alone. However, her presence was unnerving- her appearance more so, as she was dolled up in what could only be described as a lolicon's dream (curse Jin for his corrupting influence!).

Though the two students might have been trespassers, this one was something else entirely.

"I asked, who are you? What're you doing here?" Weiss asked with the same arrogant tome she had used earlier in the day, trying to assert their own right to be there.

But the woman didn't react, letting the prompt pass through her like she wasn't really even there. In turn, she looked at the two of them as if they were naught but shadows upon the wall which she could banish with the flick of a light switch.

She giggled.

Like a ghost, there was no substance to her laugh, no weight in the steps she took towards them. The crotchety old boards underfoot did not so much as creak as she passed, dancing with her umbrella to a silent tune.

None of it made sense. An umbrella without a cloud in the sky. A dance without a song. A woman without a voice or purpose to be there. A smile and rose-colored eyes without a trace of the good feelings that went along with them.

The simple answer, of course, was that none of these things were what they appeared to be.

* * *

Pyrrha wondered… would anyone recognize her?

She had changed her appearance, exchanged her iconic combat kit for one of Jaune's spare sweatshirts (one of the few that didn't have an embroidered bunny on the front), and some old work-jeans that lay almost-forgotten in the bottom of her trunk. Her blood-red hair she tied into a bun and hid it behind a knit-wool torque that was purchased specifically for this occasion. The drab, baggy clothes broke up her profile and made her height nothing special- she was a nothing, a nobody.

She didn't think that she stood out, but… would anyone believe that she really belonged?

Of course, she didn't. This was a Faunus rally, and even hanging out near the back fringes didn't make her feel any better about being there. She wasn't a part of this movement; it wasn't her fight. Not directly, anyway. Supposedly, this was on behalf of her friends- but was that even true?

"Hey! Come on, guys, we're late!"

Something pushed her from behind and Pyrrha was caught up in the flow. A group of young Faunus (really, they were probably the same age as her, but compared to huntsmen they were children) forced themselves through the crowd trying to get to the front. They were clearly friends with the way they caroused and hung closely on to one another-

"Let's go! Let's go! Haha! Get in there!"

The tailing Fauns caught her by the arm and drew her into the growing conga line, laughing gaily as if it were just a game or sold-out concert that they were attempting to sneak into. He glanced back at her through bangs that looked almost like crow's wings, winking conspiratorially with a crimson eye.

Out of instinct she broke the clawed hold and dropped away. The young man didn't stop as he was dragged along, his cackle blending in with the rest and all fading into a single, frenzied sound.

It was difficult going against the agitated mob. Everyone wanted to press forward towards the police line while all she wanted to do was move back. Even standing a head taller than most people barely allowed Pyrrha to breath. She had to rely on surrounding landmarks to guide her through the living tide, the pointed steeple of an old church acting as her north star.

At long last she spotted a gap in the crowd and lunged for it, pressing herself into a space created by one of the building's squared-off columns. Sucking down a breath, she leaned her head against the stonework and felt the wool whisk away the sweat of her brow.

She stood that way for a few seconds, eyes closed, feeling the masonry slick and cool against her moist palm. She heard the roar of the mob as if through a seashell, an ocean away from care. It would be so easy to just slip away.

What was she _doing_ here?

No blue skies or palm trees greeted her when she opened her eyes. Instead, a hideous gargoyle sneered down at her, its mouth opened wide so that when it rained, the water would drip down its serpentine tongue.

"**You're allowed to have fun, you know." **Then there was the twisted man whose mouth always seemed to flow with lies, leaning on the wall next to her. When had he arrived- scratch that, when would he ever go away? **"-There's nothing stopping you." **

Nothing apart from the invisible chain he held around her neck. But Pyrrha stopped herself from pointing out what _should _have been obvious and shook her head.

"Only a sadist would find enjoyment in this."

"**True. But as strange as it is, there are those that are happy only when they are fighting for a cause." **

There was so much contempt invested in that last word it was like an overextended strike, and Pyrrha wanted so badly to leap out and throw a well-aimed "Hypocrite!" at his face. For she knew the truth of what lay behind that mask-

-But no, not here. The timing was off.

"…**You don't strike me as that type of person, though." **She could hit him with what she knew, but what then? **"No… you hide your bleeding heart, though about as well as you hide that hair of yours." **

"-Hey!" It was only when he mentioned it that she felt the chill night air slide across her brow, and that he was fingering her stolen beanie in his claws like limp banana peel. "Give that back."

"**What's the matter? Don't you like the one I gave you?" **Red eyes studied her from behind the brim of his own head covering. Pyrrha stared back, refusing to degrade herself. **"Besides, you look better without it. What good are you incognito? As the Invincible Girl, your support would mean a lot to this cause. A bridge between species. A symbol of hope. Who knows, you might even get to be a martyr." **

"I'd rather not-"

"**-Then what **_**would **_**you die for?" **Suddenly she was trapped, stone on every side as he descended upon her like the statue from up above. **"Every moment you waste is one closer to death's door- **_**my **_**door. You think the others really give a shit****about you?"**

"Of course they do! We're friends, comrade-"

"**-They see you as a **_**tool**_**." **It must have been raining up above with the way he spat the word. **"Expendable. Not even as one worth saving. They threw you to the dogs- to try and distract **_**me**_** while they go and save the day."**

Who was he angry at? Team RWBY? Her? Himself? Or was it just a trick of the acoustics like with the seashell, his calciferous arms closing in on her like walls and his words as salty as the ocean spray?

"…So what if I am?" Pyrrha surprised herself with the lack of defiance- though perhaps not more than he, whose eyes went wide as she met them. "I'd rather be a tool than an idol, an amusement- or worse, a _trophy_. I never wanted to be put on that pedestal, that's not why I do any of this. I want to be of use, to help people. I don't need to be the hero that saves the day, just- be able to say at the end of the day that I did something _good_."

Oh, how confident she sounded! Just like the hero she was meant to be- but in the end, she was still human. Selfish. Impossible to admit out loud, but she also needed to be appreciated- to be loved.

Did he appreciate this lie? Was that why he suddenly became so enraged, his eyes hardening until they cracked like ice?

Was that a hint of blue cutting across the crimson- or was it just her imagination?

"…**You're **_**not**_** a tool," **forced to concede this begrudgingly, like he was the one backed into a corner. He retreated, wrenching his claws from the wall whose crumbs trickled down upon her shoulders. **"Not mine, nor anybody else's…"**

Pyrrha did not know what to say to this. Compared to his anger, the admission was so quiet as to be nonexistent. So, both pretended not to hear it, and they stood next to one another in an awkward truce.

\- No, it was a _sitzkrieg_, for the sounds of war still raged around them. While they sat back and squabbled over amphibole, in front of them people were prepared to die just for the _possibility _of seeing justice done in their generation.

And yes, part of Pyrrha wanted to share in that, to find satisfaction in belonging to a cause bigger than herself.

But another part of her wondered… what was the difference between belonging to one million people, or just the one?

All it took was one person, one moment, one mistake to set the whole thing ablaze.

Someone crossed the line

-Perhaps it was even that same raven-haired rogue she had seen before. Maybe he purposefully reached over the police barrier to provoke the officers standing on the other side. Perhaps he simply spit in their face-shields or said one snarky comment too many. Maybe it wasn't the Faunus' fault at all, and simply a cop with a grudge and badge of authority.

The point is, something happened to set it all off. Sitting near the back, Pyrrha didn't see exactly what.

But a news camera did, it happened to capture the moment when a police officer in his bulky riot gear drew his baton and dashed it across the face of one of the protestors. This was the video clip shown over all the networks without context. Broadcast without even clear footage of the victim, the only thing in focus were teeth: the clenched, tobacco-stained teeth of the riot cop peeking out under his helmet, and the bloody red teeth of the Faunus victim as they flew through the air and into every television screen from Vacuo to Atlas.

The world exploded.

At least, that's the way it seemed from their perspective. It was a chain reaction, a wave like the spectators in one of Pyrrha's own championship matches. Only the violence was within the crowd, once-peaceful people turned into vicious animals as they all tried to bum-rush the police at once.

"Oh, no…"

The heroine's first instinct withered and died like her words. There was nothing she could do to help in this situation which had gotten out of hand within seconds. She could only watch helplessly as the formerly peaceful civilians tore themselves apart trying simply to get a piece of the action.

"**Yes… this is what always happens." **

Pyrrha thought she heard resignation between the beast's smugness- and she raged at it along with her own.

"Then _do _something!" Half urging, half pleading- Pyrrha had already bet her life away but her soul should have been fair game. "_Please! _I know you can-_"_

"**No." ** Another crack in the ice and Pyrrha felt her feet almost give way underneath her. **"Yes, I can do what you are thinking about. No, I will not." **

"But-!"

"**Haven't you given up enough of your freedom?" **He asked rhetorically, brushing aside a rowdy Faunus who had been thrown backwards at them from the jostling mob. **"Would you really ask them to do the same?" **

No. She wouldn't- she _couldn't_. Pyrrha choked on the words, wondering what had prompted her to entertain them to begin with. These Faunus were fighting for their right to exist, for _freedom of choice_ which- yes, sometimes included the wrong ones.

What would a world look like with Jin or even Ozpin in charge of everybody's actions? Would they, in fact, be better off?

Rather than face this question, Pyrrha returned to the calamity. Like a churning sea, she scanned the crowd looking for a place to dive in. Surely there had to be something she could do. Even if it was just one person- even if _she _was just one person against the whole world, there had to be a chance to exert her will, to salvage the situation. Where was that opportunity? the same sort of opening she once used to escape-

There!

As obvious as a crossed-out word in a manifesto, there was someone making their way across the riot with a distinct purpose. Pyrrha narrowed her gaze, green eyes tracking the person through the dark and violence as precisely as night-vision goggles. It no longer mattered that she wasn't a Faunus, her sight not quite as good and her conviction not quite so sure. She was a person- she was there.

She was off, throwing herself into the turmoil after the person she spied, the one who stood out as oddly calm, clutching a conspicuously large bag to their chest and making their way to the front with a distinct purpose.

-Rather, she would have been, but for the hand which clamped down on her shoulder.

"**No," **Jin allowed Pyrrha to whip around and face him, just so that he could smirk at her.

"Let me go!" Fueled by purpose, real or imagined, she confronted the Grimm. "What if it's a… I have to do _something_! I thought you said you wouldn't stop me?!"

"**I said that there's nothing stopping you from having fun," **With the glow of torches and streetlamps behind it, his fanged grin was visible through the black shroud. **"Likewise, I won't let you stop **_**me**_**." **

For a while now, Pyrrha had lost her fear of death. It was a natural progression from fighting her fellow huntsmen, to fearsome monsters who wouldn't think twice about swallowing you whole (and those who wouldn't flinch at making an innuendo with that statement). But now she realized the true horror within the absolute dominion this beast had over them.

There was nothing they could do.

Simply- nothing. Whatever power they _thought _they had over their own lives and actions was nothing compared to his. Pyrrha _thought _she knew something about the Grimm now, but she had forgotten the obvious. He didn't even need those eyes to arrange the pieces when any of his other powers would do- Those doppelgangers, the ones they had seen on the first day and never since. He could easily be in two places at once and preempt their every action!

Pyrrha remembered the Faunus she had seen not but a few minutes ago- the one with red eyes and raven hair. Could that have possibly been him? Why not? Why shouldn't she believe that he could change his skin when it was the simplest thing for him to walk amongst them in disguise?

Disgusted, disgruntled, dejected- with herself and life in general, Pyrrha slipped to the ground, her legs giving up at the same time as her spirit.

-Or rather, she would have, if not for the hands which held her up, turned her around and hugged her tight into the folds of his dark robes.

"**Just watch," **

There was nothing else she could do.

Unable to resist even if her eyes were ratcheted open, Pyrrha saw as their feeble plans were undermined by this sadistic creature.

-No, they did this to themselves, it was undoubtedly the Faunus' choice in all this, and all he did was give a little shove. Perhaps he provided the White Fang with a bomb- or maybe he just knew about it, and found nice spot to sit back and watch the fireworks.

She watched as the Faunus who carried the suspicious package approached the front lines, cleared themselves some space and then flung the heavy duffle bag over the heads of the demonstrators and into the police phalanx.

* * *

***BOOOOOMMM!* **

If Blake had been any less observant, then both she and her partner would have been blown to pieces like the rooftop they had been perched on. If either of them hadn't had Aura, then any number of the metal splinters and wooden shrapnel would have made them look like store-brand cat food. If it weren't for the fact that they were both itching for a fight, they would have taken the que to quietly slink off and go home.

But they weren't that lucky.

"You alright, Yang?" Picking herself up from all fours, the Faunus looked over at her partner whom she was fairly certain had hit her head during the flight.

"Oh, just peachy," Sarcasm intact, Yang massaged an indent in her skull that she was certain hadn't been there before and vowed that whoever had mussed up her hair would be vanquished most painfully. "-Of course, I might be better if _**I**_ was a cat and always landed on my feet! How the heck do you do that, anyway?"

"Trade secret," Despite the situation, she smirked, "Maybe someday I'll teach you."

"If I were you, I wouldn't count on having time for that."

Taking another drag on his cigar, he held it in and counted, one, two, three… before blowing another puff of smoke.

"Of course, if I _were _you, I wouldn't have come to such a dreary place in the middle of the night. I'd be doing whatever privileged little girls do for fun… slumber parties, I guess?

Though they had never heard him speak in person, they knew the man all the same. The sweet scent of his cigar was the same as burning flesh, in that one didn't need to have experienced it before to know what to expect on the other side of the smoke. He was the quintessential villain, the voice that everyone pictured when they got to the slimy antagonist's part in the story:

Roman Torhwick.

"Don't get me wrong," He walked calmly out of the cloud and stepped self-assuredly over the rubble towards them, "I'm glad you're both alright. It wouldn't be fun if it was that easy."

The question was: how had he found them so easily? They had been watching over the shipping containers for hours now without seeing anybody arrive. And if Blake had been any less aware of this, she might have drawn the wrong conclusion.

"You knew we were coming," Having only just recovered her breath, it was knocked out again, for Blake knew the answer before she even asked, "How?"

Gloss lips puckered in a smile as he blew out another jet of smoke.

"Trade secret," Ash fell from his cigar tip, tobacco embers glowing like an eye in the dark. "-But it's a small world, secrets don't keep for long. Though I must admit, it is a bit of surprise to see **you** of all people here,"

A bit of a surprise for Blake as the criminal fingered her partner, jabbing his cigar like a hot brand in Yang's direction and igniting blonde's ire.

"You're the one that trashed Junior's bar, ain't 'cha? Ha! This is perfect! Now I can settle my debt with Junior and… _dissuade _any more do-gooders from sticking their noses in my business. Since it _is _such a small world, word gets around. And what kind of message do ya think the strung-up and battered body of a couple student huntresses says, hm?"

"Pro'lly that you're into some kinky shit," With a sadistic smile of her own, Yang stood up and let the barreled shroud of _Ember Celica _fall over her knuckles. "Careful, though. Shouldn't be makin' promises to a girl you can't keep."

The last wisps of dust which had been hanging around about knee-height were swept away as the blonde slammed her fists together. The bluster also extinguished Roman's cigar, but the man just callously tossed away the burnt-out nub and twirled his cane like the whole thing was an off-color cabaret.

"Believe me, kiddo, I've learned that lesson," Rapping his cane thrice against the concrete in what seemed like a stage que, Roman was soon joined by three other silhouettes which emerged from the rubble. "-Man shouldn't be afraid to seek help when he needs it. And as you can see, I've since gotten an upgrade from Junior's old goons."

"No…"

Nearly choking, Blake realized that she should have been expecting this. Expecting, perhaps, but still hadn't accepted it fully as a possibility, much less an inevitability.

"It has been a while… Ms. Belladonna."

Even now, the brutish-looking Lieutenant of the White Fang was respectful towards her as the 'heiress' to their organization. Although, there was a distinct tone of disappointment in his address, a frown which his tribal-painted mask did nothing to hide.

"Yes… it has," Disappointed herself that it had come to this- _in _herself that she could not say anything more to the man she had once considered as close as an uncle. "Careful, Yang, these aren't people you want to take lightly."

"Noted," It was not that hard to dismiss her playfulness. All she had to do was superimpose the Grimm-Man over their black and white garb to take the threat seriously.

"I take it this means you will be opposing us," While the other two White Fang officers had already armed themselves, the Lieutenant remained unmoving as if retaining some hope this wasn't the case. "Even after everything the Kingdoms have done to our kind? To our home? When at first you left, I did not blame you. I had thought Beacon's headmaster an honorable man, and the path of huntress a noble pursuit. But how can you still surrender yourself to a system that is so blatantly corrupt?"

"Ozpin is certainly not perfect, but he's not the enemy you think he is," Not drawing her own weapon, Blake still waited on the inevitability to sink in. "Neither are the Schnee- not all of them, at least. I don't know what rumors you've been led to believe, but Atlas had nothing to do with what happened in Menagerie."

"Then what was it? Tell me- tell _us _Blake, who is our enemy?"

What could she say? Biting her lip, Blake had parsed this exact situation over and over again in her head, bounced the possibilities over with her partner and the rest of the team, and still had not come to a satisfactory answer. Now the time had come, and she still had… _nothing_.

"I see…" Unable to see his expression, yet again, it was unnecessary. Unexpectedly, he turned the slits of his mask towards Yang, "You may not think it, but not all of us in the White Fang see everything as… Black and White," Yang conceded a smirk, not dropping her guard, "I have no doubt that there are good people on every side… however, you have chosen to stand against us, therefore, you have identified yourselves as our enemy."

"It's not that simple…"

If only it were, as simple to vanquish doubt as draw your weapon against a dissident. Revving up that massive chainsaw was harder than his muscles made it seem.

"Jeez, and Neo complains that _**I **_talk too much… by the time we get started, she'll already be finishing up with the other two." Roman found himself the target of five glares, yet he guffawed unaffected, "What? You think I'd go through all this trouble and not cover all my bases?"

The look that Blake and Yang shared reflected their nervousness, the sudden realization that they could _not _waste any more time.

Though he had anticipated a number of their moves, Yang's sudden appearance in front of him was _not _something Roman had prepared for. Thankfully, his other arrangements covered him, the White Fang Lieutenant leaping in front of the blonde's fist and hitting her punch with the chainsaw's guide bar.

Each party managed to hide their surprise: Yang, that someone could be both as strong _and _as fast as her, even after training with her sister for months on end; the White Fang Lieutenant, who had a similar thought about someone so young; and Roman himself who was wondering just what sort of things they were feeding kids today alongside the usual propaganda.

That, and just which side his newest 'ally' was really on.

But like a professional, he kept this to himself.

"Ah, ah, ah," He scolded, casually retrieving another cigar while Yang and the massive Faunus faced each other in a deadlock. "I didn't say 'go' yet, did I?"

Inside he was shaking, but his hand was calm as it reached up to light his indulgence. He took a deep gulp of that steadying tobacco smoke, letting it disseminate throughout his blood… before any of it was spilt.

"… Alright, go."

* * *

***Kristallnacht, the real event which inspired this chapter. **

**Chapter title is from Linkin Park, Castle of Glass**


	16. Battle For Clear Sight

**Sooo... it happened again. Me. I failed you all. I guess I could say it was life. But not that I was too busy (although, there were moments), just that the moments in between hit me with such an existential apathy that I couldn't seem to get up the nerve to write. And then when I did, it was a case of writing and then deleting the same sentence or paragraph several times over. **

**So, sorry. Not necessarily for taking so long, because my loyal readers have assured me it's okay (though I personally do not accept this), but because there might be some disconnect given how long this chapter is and how long it took me to get out. **

**Thankfully, most of my job applications are in, the school semester is winding up, and there *shouldn't* (fingers crossed) be _too_ many more unexpected obligations upcoming. **

**Of course, I surely just jinxed myself. Better shut up and let you guys get to reading, and let me cogitate on what to write next. Don't worry, it is coming. **

**Hasta luego~**

* * *

What was the difference between bravery and duty? Between courage and stupidity? Heroism and hubris? And for that matter, was there even such a thing as a selfless act, or were they all hallmarks of someone who selfishly wanted to acquit themselves of the world?

Their world was a strange place full of contradictions, where reality could quickly slip into the surreal as easily as that odd girl skipped over to them. Silent as a ghost, yet she instilled a very tangible fear in the two huntresses. Dolled up in her ice-cream colored garb, she was as harmless looking as a unicorn at a horse race. All well and good…

At least until someone got gored.

"Look out, Weiss!"

Ruby tackled her partner out of the way before Pretty-in-Pink could paint the alleyway with their guts. Meanwhile, the cream-colored girl herself paused a distance away to watch the tangle of huntresses, amusement so clear it was nearly translucent.

"Oof!- What are you doing, you dolt?!"

It was hard to say anything in her own defense with her head buried in her partner's anemic bosom. But chances were that Ruby still couldn't convey why she had done it. Natural instincts had turned supernatural and she had _seen _their demise in what felt like a flash of clarity. Then in a flash it was gone, like a dream upon waking. And instead, she lay there, dumbfounded.

"For Pete's sake Ruby, get your head in the game!"

"I'm sorry! I thought-!"

She thought she saw more movement out of the corner of her eye, whipped around to intercept an oncoming attack- but no, the mysterious woman hadn't moved from her spot, just staring at them with an eyebrow cocked like a silenced pistol.

"Now's no time for daydreams!" Her attention whipped towards Weiss who was getting to her feet and staring down admonishingly at her. "What's with you?! You've been acting screwy like this ever since-"

It was true, Ruby had been neglecting her duties ever since she'd read the translations. Something in her said that they held the key to their current predicament, and so she'd been desperately looking for connections to life throughout the day. She'd tried to see past the surface of things, even when there was nothing there to begin with.

Of course, if Ruby hadn't been scrutinizing so intently, she might have missed blade reflected at the bottom of her partner's icy stare.

***CLANG!***

There had been no time for an explanation- barely room enough to maneuver and deploy _Crescent Rose _against the sneak attack to her spine. It had been close, though, and Ruby could feel her hair standing on end as the enemy's blade shaved off some of the wool fuzz from her cloak.

Weiss was speechless, silent as the spectral woman whose image shattered like a mirror with a mischievous wink. Meanwhile, the _real _woman kicked an unbalanced Ruby and pinned her against the ground with stiletto heels, then turned towards her partner.

Broken out of her paralysis, Weiss backed away and only narrowly missed the lazy swipe which opened a seam along the waist of her dress. She tried to retreat more but found herself halted against the wall, almost stuck to it by her attacker who was as giddy as a teenage girl hanging up a poster of her favorite boyband.

Weiss narrowly avoided being impaled, dropping onto the rough wooden planks and rolling out of the way as the disturbingly cheery woman chased after her in a tuneless two-step. Grabbing her captain, she used her Semblance and an acceleration glyph to shoot them across the alley. Stopping only when they slammed against the adjacent wall, both staggered to their feet and shook the double-images out of their heads.

"Alright, let's try this again," This time, Weiss made sure to keep the woman in sight, and, within the range of _Myrtenaster _while she searched for her captain out of the corner of her eye. "What's the plan, Rub-?"

But in the peripheries of her vision wasn't the familiar red streak of her partner. Rather, a flash of pink and a feeling that made Weiss's skin crawl. Her neck felt like it was choked in rust as she turned around, still hoping to see Ruby's stupidly quizzical expression.

"_What's wrong, Weiss?"_

-Except that it was the creepy woman who greeted her once again, cruel smirk and head cocked in parody of concern.

"Gah! Get away from me!"

Weiss leapt back with a panicked alacrity, arming a Freeze-Dust chamber in her weapon and glazing half the alleyway in ice like glass. At last the assassin made a sound, a high-pitched squeal that cracked along with freezing surface.

"Weiss! What are you doing?!"

So, their foe spoke- but why did she sound so familiar? Weiss's mind froze, skidded to a halt along with her feet on the slick surface.

"No, don't- move!"

Of course she wouldn't want her to move! Being a contrarian, Weiss broke free. She lashed out at the two-faced woman with bicolor hair who was bulleting towards her with scythe swung out to the side.

Wait…

The scythe-wielding version of the woman flipped her weapon around and brushed Weiss aside with the blunt edge before her duplicate- the original? – cut her down from behind.

Hardened steel screamed against the alloy haft of _Crescent Rose_, and Weiss blinked away the cascade of sparks to see the scythe in proper hands once again. The illusion placed over Ruby (or was it Weiss who was seeing things?) fell just as the huntress's opponent pulled away and made the girl stumble. The other woman flicked her wrist and made the lightweight blade whip back like a mouse on a string.

She was just playing with them, keeping one step ahead with tricks that were just as illusory as a laser pointer. It inflamed Weiss's pride- but she shelved that feeling, coolly assessing the woman who had assaulted them out of nowhere. Here was not the time or place to think of _why_ they were being targeted. However, it also wouldn't do to rush in with a head that was only filled with heat and hallucinations.

But Weiss also couldn't afford to just sit there, either.

Her captain was fast; that was the only reason she could have stayed ahead of the blows thus far. But this woman- clearly a woman, for though she crossed the boundary between adolescence and adulthood like she crossed the boundary between skill and insanity- it was impossible for a mere _girl _their ageto be so far above them.

She was in the air when Ruby went low, flying high as if her slim body were just a blade of grass on the wind. And when her captain went to cut her in half- it was still the same blade, teasing her. She was the stubborn hair that would always resist the razor, seeming to flow around Ruby's every strike and pricking the huntress as she passed.

Weiss resisted the prickling sensation on her skin that told her it was a bad idea and rejoined the fray.

"Ha!"

The woman turned as Weiss announced herself, allowing the huntress to know she was dealing with the real thing. The resistance as rapiers met killed off any lingering doubt, and the following repost that whizzed by her nose let Weiss know that any further hesitation would get her killed.

This woman was _fast_.

It was only now that this fact came out to play, as the assassin quit playing them with illusions to demonstrate her _raw _skill. While defending herself against the two sides, at the same time she was hewing away at their Aura. Attacks from her pencil blade marked holes in their forms; a tap to the hand, a cut at an exposed calf, nothing enough to be fatal, but each left its mark on their psyche like red pen on an exam.

The two huntresses took a step back to examine their opponent. Though not _quite_ as quick as Ruby and not _quite _as polished as Weiss in technique, the woman was nothing to scoff at.

_She _was the one who seemed to be enjoying herself. Her silent expression mimed amusement as she played the partners off one another, corrupted their diligently cultivated teamwork and made them look like complete _fools_.

The woman's style was corrupt, rough, a homegrown genius that was impossible to guess at. Where Weiss could only narrowly avoid the random counters thrown at her, their opponent seemed to flirt with death as part of her form. There was a taste of madness in there which seemed disturbingly familiar.

Suddenly a foot kissed Weiss's cheek and she tasted iron, humility, and beneath the numbness, a feeling of déjà vu.

Being laid out flat gave her new perspective. In that horizontal position, all the blood must have drained from her head like the color from her vision, because things became very black and white:

They were going to lose.

The woman had already seen through their practiced teamwork, avoided a maneuver that, in practice, had even succeeded in catching Pyrrha off-guard. And yet, they couldn't so much as guard against their opponent's counterattacks- couldn't see through her illusions or even if she was using them at all.

Was this all they were capable of? After half a year of schooling, half a lifetime of dedicated training, stumbling into a conflict halfway across the world and surviving an encounter with a half-demon-

That's it: the attitude, the callous way she tormented them, the maleficent smile on the girl's face was exactly like _Him_.

Him, him, him, _him, him, him, always-_

Her.

The assassin's blade unhesitatingly thrust at her heart. Unlike with the Grimm, there was no rhetoric to accompany the grin. And that smile- where once she thought they were similar, now Weiss clearly saw that this one was so much worse. Unlike the monster that had tormented them for months, _this was just a human_. And while she did not string them along, neither did the woman have sympathy for her fellow unfortunates. Unlike with Jin, she was just going to stab Weiss like a piece of trash on the street.

Because unlike the nightmare before, this was _real_, Weiss… was scared.

Closing her eyes, she felt the sharp jet of air, the spittle of a last gasp.

She opened her eyes and the blade was frozen above her heaving chest, drops of crimson dripping off the tip like an icicle. Following that rivulet up, Weiss found

Her.

Unlike before, Ruby was entirely focused on their enemy. Her grip on the enemy's sword was so firm that Weiss thought she heard the sliver of metal mewl in distress, and that at any second see might the double-edged blade snap.

Their adversary's attention snapped from the hand which held her weapon tight, to the steely eyes which fixed her like nails on a crucifix. Neither she nor the huntress said anything.

And then Ruby jerked her wrist, a simple movement which stripped the weapon from the other woman's grip and jammed the handle into her face. She stumbled backwards, hand clasped to her nose which was leaking crimson like a faucet.

Forgetting the enemy's blade and her own bloody palm, Ruby dropped it and extended the same flayed hand down to her partner.

"Let's try this again, shall we?"

Sucking it up with a deep breath, Weiss took the offer. By focusing on her captain's smile, she could almost ignore the sticky, coagulating blood in her grip.

*Pe-thew*

A rare sound drew both their attentions and they looked over to see the woman spit out dark-red concretion. She looked back and smiled impishly.

"I'm with you, Ruby," Weiss affirmed. And she was, this time. No longer going about routine or just paying lip service, she owned up to her part in their ill-advised venture. "Let's do this."

With a thumb and a sickening crack, the woman levered her broken nose back into place. A flick of the spats on her feet catapulted the discarded blade back into her hands.

"…For real, this time."

The woman's fake smile grew real, then just grew, seeming to crack her porcelain skin and show the true monster underneath.

* * *

Really, Roman thought sardonically as he watched the young huntress make short work of his circumstantial allies, what were they feeding kids these days? First it was the Red brat, and now he had to deal with the rest of her friends who seemed to be just as freakishly adept as their juvenile captain.

Well, at least he only had to deal with two of them. Thank the lucky stars that sent him Neo- to say nothing of these terrorist castoffs who were apparently incapable of subduing one self-righteous brat.

Though to be fair, the Faunus girl looked like she had a bone to pick, and she was battling the White Fang like a woman possessed.

With the way things were going, the thought of bones, being possessed and things that go bump in the night made Roman shiver, and he burrowed closer to the lit tip of his cigar for warmth. After all, it wasn't the _heavens _which sent him the White-Fang escort, even if he were to believe in such things.

Even if he didn't, he wished that any god- good or bad- would take pity on him. He wasn't getting paid enough for this shit.

There was, however, a teensy bit of solace knowing that his teenage adversary was probably in a worse spot.

Blake looked slightly worse for the wear after taking care of the two White Fang sub-Lieutenants. Before moving on to face Roman, she paused to control her breath. Not to mention, reign in the fury which she had let off-leash. Blake had known fighting her former allies would be hard. And so, she chose to let frustration and anger override her other, more burdensome, feelings.

It was terrifyingly easy.

"Now, Torchwick…" There was a flutter in her voice that wasn't from exertion. She was only slightly winded from taking down her two former sparring partners. Once she had stopped thinking of them as such, it was the simplest of things to exploit the weaknesses in their fighting styles. "You're going to tell me what you're doing here."

"Well now, it really shouldn't be that hard to figure out." As hard as it was for Blake to maintain a straight face, it was the easiest thing for Roman who ruthlessly waved off the loss of his backup like he flicked off the burnt end of his cigar. "Out of the two of you, I take it you're the brains of this little operation. But it doesn't take a genius to know I'm after the Dust, Dearie."

"But you were _here_, waiting for us."

"Of course!" Roman preened as his smoke ring fell over Blake like a lasso and caused her to scowl. "But try not to flatter yourself, Madame. Again, it doesn't take a genius to realize that _someone'd_ eventually catch on. The police, rival gangs- heck, I half expected the SDC to wise up and hire some more guards for such a lucrative shipment as this. But those guys just like to act like they're untouchable, don't they? More than all those killbots and blood money, the Schnee's greatest weapon's their name. Not like you, little Belladonna. You're a nobody, a ghost- although, _had_ I known that youwere coming, I might have hired some more effective help-"

A sharp kick to the ribs showed just what Roman thought of his hired hand, who currently lay battered by his feet. The Faunus emitted a horrible wheezing sound like a perforated set of bagpipes, turning over onto the side with the least-bruised ribs. Blake was about to give into her rage again when she was halted by Roman's ruthless sneer.

"Don't be like that, Kitty-Kat! You can't deny me one little love-tap after the beatdown you gave your old buds, here!" Blake was slowed in her approach by his sarcastic lecture, thick as molasses. But she was halted cold as Roman moved the barrel of his weapon over the Faunus's head. "Oh, please. If you're gonna play the heroic vigilante, at least commit to the role! Sacrifices have to be made for the greater purpose, right? You can bet this guy knows it. But I wonder, are your current 'teamates' as willing to give it all for _your _cause? -Personally though, I'd think twice about letting the Golden-Retriever off-leash. She seems the type of rabid _bitch _to get overexcited and tear some poor kid's face off. Not exactly good for public support."

"Don't talk about my _friends _like that, Torchwick," But Blake's threat was tempered by a wince as Yang's temper raged behind them, a yell and a devastating punch reverberating throughout the alley. That, and Roman still had his weapon pointed at his supposed ally and she couldn't move any closer.

"Friends? Hey, you hear that?" Crouching down and yanking up, Roman lent an ear to the Faunus who could only form a pained groan in response. Blake could hear her own teeth grinding together as the criminal used her countryman as a living shield. "Didn't you say earlier that you guys used to be acquainted? Huh, imagine that! If this's how she treats her friends…"

"Like you would know! If you'd had any friends…!" Her frustration was building again, bled off just a little bit with the shout, but soon it would overcome that threshold and… "Not everyone treats others as resources. Unlike you, some people have a conscience."

"Exactly,"

With a quirk of his lips and a flick of his wrist, Roman re-aimed his cane at Blake and let loose a blast. Even anticipating something like this, Blake was reliant on her instincts to move her out of the way of the rocket. She posted into a backflip-

And came down right where the missile punctured a hole in the boardwalk. Blake disappeared into the black water beneath with shocked gasp and frenzied splash.

"See, the problem with a conscience is that everybody thinks they know best, even your so-called 'friends'. Better to just be selfish and take out the middleman." The man by his feet groaned again, interrupting Roman's villainous monologue.

"…Human… bastard."

"Pipe down, would you?" At the same time, Roman bent down and dragged the hobbled Faunus to his feet. "If you weren't so useless as bodyguards, I wouldn't have had to pull that stunt. Why must I be the one to take care of everythi-?"

In leu of a snappy comeback, Roman's jaw was snapped shut with a fierce right hook that reached around his Faunus meat shield and decked him clean off his feet.

"'Cause, I'm guessing, if you were totally useless, someone would've taken you out a long time ago." With one hand and an afterthought, Yang caught the White Fang guard and lowered him gently to the ground, her voice lowering at the same time. "For the record, I'm not mad you called me a bitch. But I **am** pissed that you doubted my partner's genuineness."

Cracking her knuckles, Yang approached the laid-out criminal.

"Sometimes, to make genuine progress, you've gotta be a bit of a bitch. Focus on your goal and knock down everything that gets in your way. Real friends'll understand and forgive ya."

"You'd do well to take your own advice-" A familiar voice gave the blonde warning, enough to bring one hand up and block the chainsaw carving a wide arc through the wooden deck. "-And focus on staying alive!"

The scream of a hundred carbide nails against her gauntlet was Yang's retort, the cascade of metal sparks glowing like gas lamps in her eyes as she pushed back against the Lieutenant's attack. Through jaw-clenching effort she just barely managed to cast it aside-

When the support underneath her snapped. One of the planks that had been bisected suddenly pivoted up like a seesaw and sent her stumbling away with a limp and a bruised kneecap. Though this was soon overcome by the boot planted in her abdomen, pancaking her against the warehouse wall.

"About bloody time-"

"Quiet!"

Not used to taking orders, Roman was nonetheless taken aback by the normally calm Faunus's harshness. He was bullied to silence moments before it was ripped apart, Blake exploding from underneath the rotting boards with a swing that could have split him from crotch to carrottop- which was still missing his iconic bowler, Roman realized.

But his head would have another chance to be reunited with his hat. Blake missed as the only useful member of Roman's White-Fang entourage had already thrown himself and his trusty chainsaw at the her. Having already anticipated the Belladonna's arrival, the Lieutenant also surmised that she wouldn't risk sacrificing herself to finish Roman.

True enough, the svelte Faunus slipped underneath the officer's obvious swing. She was nearly caught by his spinning elbow- still caught by surprise as the force opposite her block almost returned her to the brackish water. Letting the attack flow like water over her back, Blake returned with a low slash to the Lieutenant's calves which were seemingly posted as stiff as a bollard. But-

"I thought I taught you better, Blake!"

The Lieutenant's disappointment was as real as the handle of the chainsaw that slammed against the back of her head, knocking her flat onto the docks. From there Blake curled in on herself. Head already spinning, she summersaulted and kicked both of her legs upwards into the Lieutenant's unarmored stomach.

There was a knot in her own stomach as Blake realized the man could have ended the fight right then and there. He could have fed her to the growling end of his weapon but for whatever reason, didn't. Therefore, she was grateful feeling only one of the man's ribs crack under her heel.

But then she felt a concussive, burning sensation slam into her back. It threw her into the brick wall opposite her partner, continuing to press her against it like the warm hands of a baker kneading dough. Blake felt the force nibble away at her Aura and her conscience, the blast still ringing in her ears as she slid as butter to the ground.

"You!" Still cradling his gut like a newborn kitten, the Lieutenant hobbled his way over to Roman. "This is _my _fight! You stay out of it!"

"Need I remind you that this is _not _about your stupid cause!" Roman fired back just as viciously as the rocket he had shot into Blake's back. His growling rebuttal was a rival for any Faunus, and the Lieutenant found himself unconsciously cowing to it. "I _suggest_ you remember who you're working for- _what _you're working for, and, **do. Your. Job!**"

Not fooled by the footsteps that hid in his punctuation, Roman let the blonde's sneak-attack sail past him. He went boneless, allowing Yang to trip over his lingering foot and fall right into the Lieutenant's waiting fist.

He had to hand it to her, the blonde one could take a punch and return it as well. But if what his subordinate wanted was a fight, Roman would keep his hands clean while the two duked it out. He was far more concerned with nearly stepping on his discarded hat than the explosion of combat he left behind.

The surge of air from Yang's and the Lt.'s attacks nearly blew his bowler further away from him, but Roman caught it with the crook of his cane and deposited it back where it belonged. Pinching the brim, he pulled it tight over his eyes at a sinister angle. But it did nothing to hide his grimace.

"Should've quit while I was ahead, huh?"

Not one to quit, Blake had come too far and sacrificed too much to be bested like this. Though if she were honest, she might need _Gambol Shroud _as a spatula to pry herself off the pier. The splinters seemed to want to keep her there like Velcro hooks, and clung at her shredded clothes.

"You… should'a…"

A voice slurred, slipped into Blake's chalky mouth. After the concussion, her thoughts were as dull as the reflection off the soft wood, and it didn't even occur to her that the voice was a male's until she rolled over and saw for herself.

She saw him, the other White Fang officer she had already written off as incapacitated, poised over her with executioner's sword raised high above his head.

"Should have killed me when you had the chance, _Ms. Belladonna_."

* * *

To kill or not to kill, that was the question.

Ah, hell, who was she kidding? It wasn't a matter of if, but when. How long could she stretch it out, pulling taut on that thread of life until it was tighter and sharper than an E string just before it snapped-

She was going to Hell; Neo had no doubts about that. Some would say she had snapped long ago, have her plead insanity and argue that crazy wasn't capable of evil-

But they were wrong. Neo was never more in control of her circumstances than when she had a blade in her hands. With it, she'd long ago severed her ties of obligation. What some called patricide, she called setting herself free.

Nothing in life was free. From the moment of inception, life was like an old telegram, taxed by the word and every breath they took. Life wasn't a gift- it was a god-damned indentured servitude!

-Not that she believed in gods. Nor was there much of a reason to believe in people, for that matter. They were liars, all of them. Saying and taking what they wanted.

Roman was just more honest than most, which was why she liked him. Still, Neo sensed a smidge of ulterior motive in the career criminal, something extraneous to his life of villainy. One of the reasons she hung around him was to see if this thread would go anywhere. Would he ever succumb to that vile succubus called _love?_ She wanted to see if he would ever be honest to himself and take _what he truly wanted._

That, and as her partner, he always managed to find her entertaining jobs like this one.

Neo found herself on what some might say was the wrong end of a huntress tag-team. But this was prime entertainment for the woman, avoiding the pointy bits like indolent teens avoid responsibility. And oh, how Neo relished in the way her laid-back attitude riled Ms. 'Prim and Proper'! The Schnee's meticulous form falling to pieces as she matched the teen blow for blow with seemingly minimal effort.

-Or, at least, that's how it had been until that point. More than seemingly, Neo had been fighting circles around the two wannabe huntresses without even resorting to her illusions. But recently-

Lunging at her, there was an edge to the Schnee's attacks that there hadn't been before. At first, Neo pegged it for desperation, but she was beginning to have her doubts. For there was _no _doubt, no hesitation in the Schnee's moves, even when Neo began to push back. The girl gave up ground to Neo's frenzied onslaught, but would not give even a hint as to the existential dread that had gripped her earlier.

_Where _had that magnificent fear gone? Where was the honesty in the Schnee's stone-set mask?

And furthermore, where had that Red one got to?

It was in this thought Neo was distracted- or perhaps she had just gotten lazy, allowing the heiress to bend back and avoid a horizontal slash which barely skimmed her skimpy bust. She was overbalanced, but Neo didn't even try to exploit this opening.

-She couldn't, as _there _came the Little Red Hooded Girl from behind the Schnee's slender profile. Her scythe reached over Weiss's cantilevered chest, taking advantage of its extra length, not to mention, the audacity of the attack to force Neo to block.

Ha! They had finally managed to surprise her, the thought making her shiver alongside the reverberation from her blade. But it was only one strike, and now they were both exposed-

Except that _again_ Neo found that she couldn't capitalize on it- couldn't _move _as something stuck her to the pier like flypaper. In front of her the Schnee completed her cartwheel, landing on her partner's weapon and locking her high heels onto the haft before being hurled off like an atlatl.

Neo admitted that she should have seen the glyph under her feet, if not the unorthodox maneuver. Something had indeed changed; their teamwork was no longer cookie-cutter, no more of those formations which were as stiff as the binder they had come from.

It almost reminded Neo of her own daredevil tactics. And in deference to that, she humored them with one of her tangible illusions. Her duplicate would take the killing blow in her stead while she again slunk off into the darkness-

"You know, our teammate does the same thing!"

Neo didn't know what hit her. Her hard-light illusion shattered in front of her eyes. Yet, it felt as if she had been the one struck. Her head was pounding, those zigzag seams along the human skull coming undone.

She must have been going crazy,

Losing touch with reality like her feet lost touch with the wooden floor- but then it all came crashing back along with the ground. From there, she rolled into a crouched three-point stance with her partly undone hair falling over her eyes like a curtain. In darkness, she let the replay role:

The Red one had anticipated her substitution. No! She had seen _through _the illusion- Though not entirely; the caped huntress had only been able to guess where Neo had been going, and so had to change her direction mid-assault. Hence, why Neo received a boot to the back of the skull instead of the scythe's blade. The girl was still a step or two behind, but still…

She was fast!

Or course, Neo knew this from the beginning. Even before that, as she had been partially briefed on her target. (She had tuned out other, less important details of the mission. It wouldn't be any fun if she knew exactly what to expect).

-And this was turning out to be more fun than she could have imagined! Who could have foreseen this development- except the Red One herself? The neurons that allowed the Girl to perceive objects at super-speed were quickly adapting to Neo's hard-light illusions which traveled _juuuust _slower than light itself. There was still a delay- hence the course-change. But was it possible she could go further?

Could Neo possibly get to have even more fun?!

"That's a really creepy look, ya know…" Dropping out of her slipstream, the Red girl looked down on Neo who was licking her lips and tasting fresh blood from between her teeth. "…Although, it does sort of remind me of another- well, I'm not really sure if he's a friend anymore, but he's pretty creepy too."

Yes, now that the two of them were taking this seriously, the situation reminded her of _him_: the only other person Neo could honestly say she liked. True, he talked more than Roman and was seldom honest with himself or others. However, he was so powerful that his lies became the truth, not mere substitutes like Neo's illusions. And if she were honest, Neo was _terrified_ of him. He invoked in her that life-affirming feeling which had only been replicated a handful of other times before.

Now was not one of those times. Either of those two still had a long way to go before they could best Neo. But they had lost their prior inhibitions, and in turn, gained the possibility of defeating her- so long as they continued to work together like they had been. That possibility was all that was needed for Neo to recall her own mortality.

To kill, or be killed…

That was hardly a question at all!

Neo charged at Ruby.

The huntress tensed, and now Neo had time to measure out how long her illusions stayed effective. Her new doppelganger made it three paces before the Red One realized she wasn't the target. Aiming her scythe behind her, the young huntress accelerated herself with both Dust and Semblance towards her partner.

Yet it wasn't enough. Neo had already positioned the Schnee so that she stood oblivious as a brick wall between them. If Neo wanted to have more fun, she'd have to eliminate the easy target.

However, the Red One wasn't making things easy at all, reaching around her partner with the curved bill of her scythe like a cat hooking a claw around the lip of its owner's nostril. Both were a rude awakening, and Neo was barely able to mount a defense.

She was still kicked backwards by the Schnee who shot her leg out blindly under the scythe and Neo's guard. Not even looking at her adversary, the white-haired woman was still bedazzled by Neo's illusion and relying solely on her partner to aim her attack. She was within a sliver of being cut by that 'friendly' scythe, but Weiss didn't flinch.

Neo sneered. The Schnee was acting as the Red One's marionette. Trust like that was foolish, and she knew the two were only working together because Neo had pushed them to it. All she had to do was split them up-

-Focused and sharp, the Schnee fired a Wind-Dust shell at her that freed more hair from her tight bun and attacked her favorite petticoat. Oh, they were going to pay for that, but first-

-The Red One reached her first, almost appearing to teleport out from behind her partner and in front of Neo's face. Fast, yes, but in these close quarters, Neo held the advantage and would give no quarter-

-Halting on a dime, the girl decelerated far faster than Neo thought physically possible. This abrupt stop formed a gap between them where Neo could see the glyph under the Red One's feet. But she only got a glimpse before the Schnee interjected herself again. Argh! If she could just-

As her schizophrenic thoughts jumped back and forth, Neo found herself leaping around simply trying to stay ahead of the double-headed assault. Rather than roll over, Neo's torture of a thousand cuts had instead created a hydra out of the two huntresses.

Now _she _was the one put on the defensive. The perfectly white macramé lace of her dress now looking more like a wet coffee filter as the heat was turned up and she was wrung out on either side.

That massive scythe again passed in front of Neo's face, far closer than her normal liking. In fact, this time she could feel something else running down her cheek alongside the bead of sweat.

She saw the drop of blood fall to the ground, reflected off an icy surface that suddenly appeared beneath her. Neo's high heels no longer found purchase and she slipped, legs splaying ungainly in front of the Schnee who stood as confidently as a figure skater waiting on her partner for the final stunt.

But the Schnee didn't wait and stabbed down at Neo who fractured like the glassy surface underneath her, fragments melting and filling in the surface cracks.

The crack of a supersonic blow wasn't far behind. This had become typical: the Schnee would incite Neo to use her Semblance and then the Red Menace would make sure she couldn't take advantage of it. Honestly, it was getting a bit aggravating.

Where once she'd been enjoying herself, now the whole thing just seemed like a chore. And despite her instructions to the contrary, Neo contemplated _cutting _their playtime short.

And why not? If they couldn't survive on their own, why did they deserve mercy? Roman had mentioned simply delaying them, but _He_… there was nothing there that should interest him and yet-

What was so special about them, _anyway_?!

She wanted to know! She wanted to see for herself!

Neo saw her opening and let the Schnee succeed with her next attack. The frost crusted over both Neo and her illusory shield, cold passing through and forming goosebumps on her skin. She waited there with arms folded in stasis, a feeling so close to death.

She waited. Just a little closer…

The amorphous silhouette approached Neo's cocoon. It peered in, inquisitive whether they had actually bested their wily adversary.

All the while, Neo bided her time and…

***CRACK***

The ice parted for the blade, melted in front of it with a sound like slicing flesh.

No, the crack wasn't from the icy prison, Ruby realized, but from reality itself breaking apart. Her partner stood there with the same look of disbelief… along with a sword sticking out of her chest.

No, it just couldn't be happening. This was another illusion, the mirrors and glassy ice falling to the ground attested to that-

Weiss followed them as she slumped to her knees, a glassy look in her eyes as they traced the killing blow back up to the smirking assassin.

Stepping from the crumbling chrysalis, Neo reached up and casually shook the remaining white from her bicolored hair. Then, almost as sacrilegiously, she jerked her weapon from the gawping Weiss who still looked like she couldn't believe she had fallen for- _to_ such an obvious ploy.

Not even when her head hit the wooden planks, and her killer waltzed through the rivulet of blood that fell into the sea below.

"**NOOOOO!" **

Neo was halted mid-step, brought to a standstill by a physical wall of emotion rolling off the huntress. It was as fierce as any gust, and Neo feared that if she'd had her parasol deployed, she might be blown away.

She _felt fear_,

But the emotion was lost among the other sentiments drowning her like a tsunami, including anger. Stabbing her blade into the docks, Neo tried to ride it out. But she might as well have been piloting a dingy for all the good that was doing- the boards under her feet rippled like liquid and she felt her stomach roil. Her arms holding her down felt as if they had just paddled leagues- this was- it was-

Amazing!

This was perfect! No longer bored, Neo could practically _see _her heart beating through her jacket like a sail buffeted by the storm. She looked up and saw those silver eyes _glow _like a full moon- the only way to describe their luminescence was with something she had never even _seen _before!

This was something she had experienced only once before. Had this been what _He_ had seen in them?

-Or, was this that four-letter curse? Was this fluttering in her chest the illusive feeling Roman and been searching for?

Another fluctuation in pressure hit her and forced Neo to blink. Her rosy eyes which opened wide soon after could not find the Red One amidst the raging tempest. Impossible! The eye of the storm couldn't just vanish and leave behind its chaos. That, and Neo was certain the girl couldn't be _that _fast-

Faster than the thoughts running eight-hundred words per minute in her brain, the blow struck Neo in the stomach. Air was evacuated from her lungs, but it couldn't get out of her way fast enough. The gas felt as solid as the two walls she crashed through, and the pressure lit up her spine***** even as the flame inside her began to flicker.

Neo wavered in her opinion. Picking herself up and organizing her thoughts after the harsh landing, she decided that this feeling, auxiliary to the pain, was different. Near to it, but-

The Red one was nearing her again, warning coming only from the cone of debris that followed her blur through the human-shaped holes. Neo formed several layers of illusions- no hope of distracting the single-minded huntress, but for whatever delay their flimsy weight could give her.

It slowed down Ruby's slice just enough for Neo to bring up her sword to block-

***CRACK***

This was it. She'd really, truly lost it.

The battle, that is, as her blade snapped like little more than chaff beneath the reaper's swing. It was with irony that Neo noticed it had not been a clean break, leaving behind a jagged, glistening shard attached to the handle. It was with confusion that she noticed she could not recognize her own pale-eyed reflection in its surface.

It was with bitter pleasure and manic defiance that she jabbed that fragment into the back of the huntress's forearm as it was presented after her swing.

But this did not stop Ruby. She treated the blade as one might a splinter, ignoring the slim wound even as it wept globules of blood so dark they were almost black. In contrast, the huntress's eyes were wide and almost crystal clear- almost, as there was a crimson impurity far beneath the surface. Ruby's stare was like her strikes, aimed at some point far past Neo, into a future where she no longer existed.

No!

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no…

This was not happening! In this world, underdogs stayed down in the gutter, no _deus ex machina_ to give people power when thy needed it most! She refused to acknowledge the existence of higher powers, holding the gods in contempt even as she bit down onto the huntress's arm and clawed at her all-too-real flesh.

Ruby fought off this rabid attack easily enough, knocking Neo back with the haft of _Crescent Rose _like a pool-cue. The woman created a pocket in the drywall upon impact, her eyes rolling in their sockets and flashing between colors quick enough to give someone an epileptic seizure.

_True _fear seized her as she slumped down from the crater. Neo had almost forgotten what it felt like. No pleasure to be found in it. It was akin to the other piece of her sword which she found lying near her on the ground; she gripped it tight in her trembling hands and ignored the way the cold steel cut her. It was her last line of defense, the only thing she had left beside her life-

Her soul, her Semblance! As the huntress approached her, looking less like a hero and more like one of the horsemen of the apocalypse, Neo retreated into herself and found that spark of resistance.

Even though the Silver-Eyed Warrior could apparently see straight through Neo's illusions, their solidity depended on how much energy she poured into them. Though she didn't have much strength left, Neo would take out a loan from the gods she didn't believe in, borrow the energy she needed at whatever the current interest rate.

That's right! There might not be gods, but there were monsters in their world, demons, too.

She would borrow _His _image, the only thing that could match this level of malevolence.

Just thinking about wearing his skin made her shiver. Neo felt the imposter as the illusion crept over her, blackness like tar instead of the light-bending substance her Semblance normally formed. His bone armor folding around her felt more like a prison than protection, and she shut her eyes in concentration for the _piece de resistance_.

Resisting her instinct, Neo opened her eyes.

But they weren't hers. Oh, sure, she could change the color of her irises, disguise the rest of her looks if she really felt up to it- but this was different. If eyes were windows to the soul, his were a glass house where someone had the gall to throw a stone. She could only hope to emulate a fragment of his hatred and resentment towards the world.

The world seemed to grind to a halt as Ruby met her gaze. In the meantime, she had gotten so close that Neo could feel the girl's breath while her own was held captive in her lungs.

The huntress was captivated by the stare. Neo expected there to be shocked hesitation, the same fear, perhaps. But no, it was-

Ruby blinked, the light in her eyes winking out.

"You… know him…too…?"

Those silver eyes hid themselves in her skull, and Ruby was out like a light. She collapsed, rag-dolled right into the doll-like woman's arms. The scrap of blade fell from Neo's hands like her disguise and she caught the student huntress.

Neo was dumbfounded- either with the outcome or her own actions which seemed almost involuntary. Both caused her to overlook the disappearance of her illusion, the black dispersing like morning fog instead of with the usual tinkle of broken glass.

She held the huntress in her hands, broken and defeated. It would be the simplest of things to snap her neck and yet-

* * *

"Should have killed me when you had the chance, _Ms. Belladonna_,"

"Shoulda…"

Perhaps she should have been more concerned; still suffering the effects of the concussive blast, Blake's head was too scrambled to mount a decent defense. By the same token, she was perhaps too dizzied to worry about the sword-wielding Faunus above her.

And yet,

Blake had enough wherewithal to whip a leg up over her head in the direction her attacker. At the expense of aim, she'd probably bought herself a little time to recover as she felt her strike connect with flesh, the Faunus reeling backwards to give her some space.

"Maybe I should have, if I was doing this for myself," It wasn't about her, and so shouldn't have been using this opportunity to grandstand. However, Blake did need time to recover and stand back up. "But the point of having strength is doing what's _right_, regardless of personal preference."

Hoping to once again try and talk things out, Blake turned to her former ally-

Only to find the man totally unresponsive, curled up on the planks in a fetal position and groaning lowly. His weapon was on the ground next to him and his hands were erstwhile occupied clutching his-

"Er, not to disagree or anything…"

Someone spoke up, and the voice did not agree with any of the ones Blake remembered having been there. Sword drawn, she whipped around to face the newcomer who, for the first few seconds at least, appeared more startled than the huntress.

"…But I can't think of a single circumstance where kicking a guy in the nuts can be considered 'right'."

"You!" Even if she recognized the impish expression, Blake did not stop brandishing her weapon in his face. "What are you doing here- after we specifically told you **not** to go looking for trouble!"

"Oh, come on," Sun Wukong shrugged warily, hands still raised high, "Could you think of anything else to say that would be _less _enticing? I mean, that's like classic reverse psychology there, the whole 'do as I say and not as I do'- it's practically begging me to check it out."

Cautiously shifting from foot to foot, Sun used his elbows to gesture towards the emasculated Faunus on one hand, and the bladed point staring him down in the other.

"That, and I thought you ladies might like some help… guess you didn't really need it."

Blake realized that pride probably wasn't appropriate, but she admittedly had a hard time keeping the smirk from cutting through her sheepish expression.

"Trust me, you don't want to be caught up in this."

"Now, you say, 'trust you', and yet…" Sun raised his eyebrows at the lowered weapon, which was still aimed disconcertingly at his stomach. "I'm just sayin', it's kinda hard to trust someone who's threatening you."

"I'm not-" Catching herself, Blake conceded his point with a sigh and moved her sword point away from his abdomen, "_Believe _me, I'm only telling you this for your own good. There are… worse things,"

Though Blake could hardly think of anything worse than unconsciously regurgitating the Grimm-Man's words.

"Like getting shot?" Not to Blake, but he still struck a point which made her wince. "-In any case, it's not your right to decide that."

"Huh?"

Chuckling, Sun finally relaxed for the first time since dropping his arms.

"I pegged you for the type of person to understand… look, you can keep your secrets to yourself. I don't need to know them to believe you're on the good-side here." Having obviously gotten off on the wrong foot, Sun hoped that offering the woman his hand was the right move. "So…can you trust **me** enough to let me lend a hand?"

His cheeky, familiar, smile actually made Blake hesitate to accept. It was too comforting, too much like her partner's for her to believe-

"-Watch it!"

No longer asking, Sun grabbed her by the arm and dragged Blake out of the line of fire. Deploying his weapon in front of them both, he twirled his segmented staff like a propeller. The spray of bullets which pelted the impromptu shield sounded like a torrential rain on a tin roof, but not a shot managed to get past the dull yellow glow of Dust augmentation.

"Figures, another freak." With a chuckle as dry as the magazine, Roman returned the empty assault rifle to the equally useless White Fang officer.

"Hey! Who're you calling a freak, Kubrick?!" This was the first time Blake had seen Sun with anything but a smile or look of confusion. Of course, she hadn't seen him enough to even know his name… "And seriously?! I'm getting really tired of being shot at- especially not by some dude dressed like a waiter!"

"Kids today…" Roman's effeminate eyebrow twitched, almost as offended as Sun by the insult to his style. "No respect for the classics. Although you'd do worse than listening to Kitty-Kat, there. She's right, and you can consider that a warning shot- er, shots. But if you _hang_ around Monkey-boy, I _promise _you there's worse in store."

"Who're you callin' 'Boy', _garcon? _You'd have better luck getting me to change my mind if you told me today's specials_,_" Sun guffawed at the criminal who was busy grinding his teeth, sliding into a defensive stance in front of Blake. "Besides… I already made dinner reservations; the cops should be on their way."

"You _what_?!" Contrary to what Sun would have assumed, the huntress did not sound happy with this news. "What'd you do that for?! Did you learn nothing from his afternoon?!"

"Well… I thought that's what you're supposed to do during a crime in progress." Now that he thought about it, Sun realized that he did sound a tad naïve. Looking away in chagrin, he laid out the rest of his excuse. "Don't worry. To be fair, I think the guys I invited are going to be more understanding now."

Groaning, Blake placed her furrowed brown in her hand before replacing it with her gun and pointing it at Roman.

"Well, it looks like we'd better finish up, then."

"What'd ya know, we agree on something," A disagreeable frown drew the chewed end of Roman's cigar to the bottom of his mouth. "Still, I suppose I'm the one who has to try and explain to Neo that her playtime's over…"

No one needed to explain who that was to Sun; he could feel how the seemingly offhand comment rubbed Blake like a balloon, her anxiety transferring to him through the static on her bristling hairs.

"You said you wanted to help?" While praying this offer hadn't been revoked, Blake could not bring herself to look at the one she would beg a favor from.

"Yeah?" Hearing her distress, the huntsman reiterated, "Yeah. What'd you need?"

"Ruby- our captain and the Schnee you met earlier should be around here. Whoever this Neo is, Roman seems confident that they are strong enough to take on two of us. And considering we haven't heard from them in a while…"

"Where would I find them?"

"We were supposed to rendezvous due south at the-"

Luck at that time turned south at the same time the entire docks pitched sideways. Off in the distance, a building listed over like a deck of cards being smacked off a table. And since this section of harbor was built on interconnecting pilons, they felt the jarring sensation as a bus passenger would feel a sudden break.

"From the sound of things," Roman's voice was steadier than his feet as he picked himself up and gloated. "You might want to wait until hightide to start searching. By then, what remains of your friends is sure to turn up on the beach along with the rest of the flotsam!"

"Forget him!" Breaking down his staff into two separate pieces, Sun made a break towards the rising plume of dust not far off in the distance. "If your friends are anything like you, they'll be fine! Just you wait, I'll rush over there and have absolutely nothing to do by watch and- woah!"

Blake watched as Sun made a mad dash for the crop of buildings opposite them, on his way, taking a swipe at Yang's opponent who was by now too weary and wounded to avoid the low blow. The blonde sent him a quick salute before seizing the opening. Doing the same, Sun squeezed through the newly made hole in the battle before sprinting the rest of the way-

And that's when she appeared.

She appeared to step from reality as if it were merely a shower curtain. And when her heterochromatic eyes landed on Sun barreling towards her at full speed, the expression was about the same.

Though he'd seen the collision coming, Sun didn't have enough time or traction to stop. His sneakers made an awful shrieking sound while his obstacle stood there a with wide, silent stare.

***CLONK***

Almost as loud as whatever had shaken them before, Blake, Yang, even Roman and the White-Fang Lieutenant winced, feeling the two collide.

"Graceful…" Roman drawled, glancing down at the dizzied Neo who was looking past her partner to the stars above. He was, however, not nearly as casual as her pretended to be. The fact that Neo allowed herself to be hit was jarring, and it spoke more of her state than anything the woman would deign to. "Although, perfect timing as usual, my dear."

He was quick to help her up- to hide whatever weakness was not already evident by the state of her outfit and the numerous cuts which made it beneath the cloth. Wrapping a protective arm over her shoulder, it still felt like she was the one helping him to stand as he whispered shakily into her cauliflower ear.

"Ready to get out of here, Neo?"

Pupils still rolling around in her head, the woman focused them on her partner and gave him a look that was more chilling than her usual, murderous glare.

"Hey… you!" Blake yelled at the top of her lungs, both to get Sun's attention and to hide her blush at the fact she _still _didn't know his name. "That's the enemy! That's Neo!"

"Uhhh… oh!" Still a bit stunned himself, Sun whipped his slack-jawed gaze back and forth between the two women before things clicked. Flipping to his feet, he rearmed himself against Roman and the newest confirmed threat- who was looking anything but as she practically disappeared into Roman's tight-fitting suit jacket. "Alright, I distinctly remember you saying about how things would get worse. Well, they aren't looking too good for you right now, buddy-"

"-Get any closer and you'll be touring Vale all at once, boy." With his free hand Roman whipped up his rocket-launching cane at the approaching Sun.

"Not quite the hardened criminal you're cracked up to be, are ya? Ya know, meeting you in person like this-"

"Idiot! Lookout!"

Something slammed bodily into Sun when he wasn't looking and knocked him out of Roman's crosshairs. But then when he landed, a kick connected with his body and sent him rolling away in a wheeze.

"What are you doing, Torchwick?" Looking to be on his last leg, the White-Fang Lieutenant retracted his one good foot from Sun's gut and hobbled his way over to Roman and Neo. "The plan was for that girl to cover our escape."

"Technical difficulties," Roman replied coolly. Although, where before there had been some- if not respect- then mutual weariness between them, now there was only the barrel of Roman's weapon as he moved it in front of his supposed ally. "We're going to Plan C."

"There _was _no plan c."

"Every operation has the same Plan C." At the same time Roman took a step back, the Lt. following him. "Every man for himself."

And with that, he jerked the muzzle of his weapon, _Melodious Cudgel_, firing a round which released both a concussive noise and a noxious gas upon impact. It was like an accidental discharge at a fireworks factory, the smoke quickly dispersing to cover the criminals' retreat at the same time the reflective particles in the cloud clotted the students' eyes and dazzled them.

"Ah crap! Don't let him get away!"

But hardly anyone could hear Yang's desperate shout- not even her as she coughed and stumbled around blindly trying to find anything fleshy to grab.

"There! I got you, you scumbag-!" Coming upon the masculine body while crawling on hands and knees, Yang hoisted the two of them up just in time for the blinding cloud to settle to about waist-height. After a few blinks, it was clear that the fellow blonde she held in her hands was not the intended target. "Uh-whoops, wrong guy."

"No worries, I seem to be getting that a lot, lately…"

"What're you still doing here?"

Blake's interruption saved both Sun and Yang the awkward moment. Releasing the lapels of Sun's open shirt, they turned to see who their third was addressing, only to find the White-Fang Lieutenant standing in the same position and staring at the spot Roman had just occupied.

"Why didn't you run?"

"You expect me to abandon my comrades to the police?" At last, off in the distance they could hear the blare of sirens, announcing the officer's approach.

In turn, the sound caused alarm bells to go off in Yang's head.

"Shit- Ruby!"

With this limited explanation and more speed than she'd displayed in the entire fight, Yang dashed across the docks and past the White-Fang Lieutenant who didn't make a twitch towards stopping her.

After regaining direction, Sun got up and began to leave as well. But then he stopped and glanced at Blake for instructions. Not at all sure herself, the huntress gave a limp nod in the direction her partner had disappeared to. As he made to follow, Sun flicked his gaze on the White-Fang Lieutenant one final time. He decided the man was no longer a threat when he failed to give chase.

Instead, the Lt. gave a wry laugh and sat himself down upon the water-logged docks. While one hand braced him, the other reached up to remove his mask which suddenly felt just as salt-soaked well-traveled as the wooden planks underneath. Underneath the mask was a youthful face as brown as the cedar boards, yet similarly devoid of varnish. There were the beginnings of a rough, wood-grain stubble which pricked his hand as he rubbed it idly.

"Although, I suppose this is my own form of running away..." When she met his mask-less gaze, Blake saw a man who had walked many miles further down the road of life than most. He looked far older than he should have, to the point where she hardly recognized his forest-green eyes because the fire in them had gone out. "Our fate is in your hands now, Blake. I hope that this world is forgiving as you think it is. And if not, I hope you can make it that way."

Blake hoped so too, but she was unable to say anything encouraging to the one White Fang who remained conscious.

On one hand, they had won, and miraculously without any casualties. However, it somehow didn't feel like it. Suddenly entrusted with this burden… Blake found that she didn't want it. After all, was she- were any of them ready for what it entailed?

"Everyone, hands in the air! This is the police!"

The voices should have been familiar to Blake, same as the words. But they might as well have been spoken in the same strange language that decorated the cavern's walls. And every second she didn't respond to their command, the two cops from before got closer to undoing all the hard work.

"Drop your weapons and get down on the ground!"

* * *

When they found them, the two huntresses were lying head to foot next to one another on the ground as if someone had posed them there in a yin-yang. Yang herself leapt towards Ruby, gathering the girl up in her gauntleted arms and frantically checking her over from head to toe.

"Ruby?! Rubes?! Com'on, Sis, this isn't a time to be taking a nap! Oh, please tell me you two just bumped heads or something stupid like that."

Feeling stupid for his inability to do anything, and left out of the reunion, Sun slid down next to the Schnee who had rescued him earlier and began to assess her. As he had little medical experience, his otherwise nimble hands hovered uselessly like a pianist with stage fright. Simultaneously, his eyes roved her up and down, looking to see if watching all those detective dramas made him able to notice anything.

It didn't take long.

"Oh, thank goodness," As she finally squeezed a groan out of her sister's lips, Yang nearly fainted herself. "She's just unconscious."

"Great. Unfortunately, this one ain't breathing." Choking on the feeling of relief, Yang reluctantly set down her captain and joined Sun over her other teammate. "And, uh, I think I see the problem."

So did Yang. And if the light had been any better, they would have seen it from the end of the alleyway. Blood was slowly leaking out of a wound in Weiss's upper chest like a broken faucet. It was still fresh, drenching the woman's white dress and coating their hands as they tried to reposition her.

"That's a lot of blood…" Sun's tanned face was turning pale, though nowhere near the alabaster hue of the heiress. Her skin was white as a grave marker as they positioned her more into the light of the moon.

"No shit," Yang snapped, hardly upset with the stranger who only wanted to help. But she **was** pissed alright- at Torchwick, at Neo, even at Weiss, but mostly herself. Hell, she'd throw Jin in the list for good measure. Yang wasn't pulling any punches- except that all she could think to do was punch something, for the lot bit of good that would do. "Shit, shit, shit, shit, _**shit**_**! **Please tell me you know something about first-aid!"

It was possible that Yang herself would be needing medical attention by the end of the night with the way she struck her thigh until it turned as dark as the shadows surrounding them. If only she could do so herself- why hadn't she asked the heiress to teach her? For all the times Yang had snubbed the woman for being arrogant, was it not _her_ pride that kept her from asking?

"Yeah, but only basic stuff that requires a band-aid or CPR." For the lot of good that would do them. Despite the wet-dog look, obviously neither huntress had drowned, and the rivulet of blood flowing from Weiss's chest looked well beyond a mere compress.

"Wait- didn't you come from Vacuo? Why the hell do you know CPR?!"

"I don't know, okay?! You never know when it might come in handy!"

The sudden burst of anger from the Faunus was as effective as a slap in the face. And as Yang began to think more clearly, she realized that this young man was as rattled as she was- perhaps more so, for he lacked context for the whole debacle.

And yet, there was a connection. Sun felt like he owed the Schnee a debt for what she did only a few hours earlier- a few hours difference that robbed the proud huntress of her voice and vigor.

"Ah, screw it!" They both were getting worn out, even just sitting there with minds running in circles. But before Sun gave up, he was going to exhaust all possibilities. "Crud, she's going to kill me…"

The end of this sentiment disappeared into Weiss's lips as Sun tried to breathe life into the dead woman. While it was safe to say he wasn't thinking clearly, at the very least, the young Faunus had enough forethought before taking the plunge to omit the chest-compressions.

And lucky for him, the observing huntress also had trouble mustering a thought. Yang was stuck between wanting to punch the presumptuous teen and trying to take out her camera so she could immortalize this storybook moment.

Although chances are that if she had, it wouldn't have turned out quite like the fables.

*Cough, cough- cack! Ahh-hoo-aahh-ack!*

-But reality is seldom like fairytale stories. They at least have the chance to edit out scenes that are less than idyllic, such as the princess suddenly lurching to life and hacking out a wad of phlegm, blood and brine into the face of her knight.

However, with the way that night was going, the image of Weiss sitting upright with nothing more than a superficial scratch on her chest, a bit of saliva dripping from her mouth and a drunk look on her face was still one of the most beautiful things in the world, even- especially if they had no idea how.

"Eeeeewww…."

Too bad Sun couldn't appreciate the miracle with stray spittle in his eyes.

"Wha- what the…?" Weiss slurred, struggling to focus and feeling as if she had just awoken from a seven-year sleep. If it were possible for her to form higher thoughts, she might imagine this was what a hangover was like. However, the woman was still taking in her surroundings, trying to reconcile the sensory input at the same time words (and a bit of drool, she noticed as she touched her lip) were spilling out of her mouth. "What the… heck is going on here?"

There was a throbbing pain in her chest that correlated to a thought knocking on the door to her mind. But it was dull in comparison to the overall ache of her body and head, the latter feeling like a bowling ball as she swiveled it to take in her surroundings.

"Did I… No, **do** I really want to know?"

The Faunus who was just starting to look familiar to her refused to answer, averting his eyes and turning towards her a blushing cheek. At the same time, her blonde teammate was doubled over and trembling in what could have been laughter, or terror. Though when she finally looked up, her violet eyes were filled with tears and emotions Weiss couldn't even fathom.

"No, you probably don't."

* * *

Pyrrha didn't want to look.

In that moment, in her head there spawned this irrational idea that if she wasn't to watch, nothing would happen. The bag which probably contained a bomb would never complete its arc. The explosives inside would never detonate- would never decimate the unruly mob of protestors nor the unaware lines of police who were just trying to maintain order.

But this was not the order of the universe.

Moreover, Pyrrha knew she had a responsibility to watch. The notion of duty was so strong that she didn't need the claws sitting on her shoulders to keep her fixed. Pressed into Jin's robes like the lead apron of a dentist's chair, she could only open her emerald eyes wide and capture this moment of infamy.

The black bag landed behind the riot line like a severed head.

***KAABO-SPLOOSH!***

After the explosion, there was deafening silence, then:

"…Paint?"

Having already pictured the moment hundreds of times in the seconds before it happened, Pyrrha's voice seemed to stand alone as she observed the scene. The ones standing nearest the epicenter had their inflammatory cries doused by the gallons of bright-orange paint which covered them head to toe. And further out in the splash-zone the crowd was muted, at first by the morbid thoughts that it was blood splatter, and then by sheer incredulity.

Pyrrha looked to Jin, still uncomprehending.

"Why?"

"**Why, My Dear, you make it sound like I had something to do with this." **Even being at the back of the crowd and all but invisible, his contended smile seemed to be at the center of everything. **"You forget that I care very little about people beyond the entertainment value. However, if this world is to destroy itself, it will not be because of me."**

He sounded almost proud of this fact- or perhaps just relieved, like the simple act of speaking it absolved him of responsibility.

But, despite his boasting, Pyrrha knew this wasn't true.

"You would still be guilty of doing nothing." Nothing but an offhand whisper was all it took to ruin his good humor, fangs bared as she turned her back on him.

"**Such is the nature of the beast; damned if you do, damned if you don't. Although, maybe you'd prefer I painted this town **_**Red**_**?" **Combing his claws into her blood-red hair, with a tug he forced her to look at him. **"A nice genocide to liven up this boring affair. I'd even let you help me- I could make you. It's not too late, you know." **

"No," Pyrrha agreed hopefully, "it's never too late."

Truthfully, Jin hadn't expected her to be so accepting- to be so unwavering as she stared into his eyes. And yet, she wasn't looking down at him from some moral high ground as he expected. Nor was she trying to slink off into some dark loophole like a tunnel to escape him- no, just… staying, stating truth.

He didn't know how to handle it.

Disentangling his talons, he let go and released her gaze. In reaction to this odd gesture Pyrrha opened her mouth- but then decided not to say anything, as if acknowledging it with her words would make it disappear.

But this was not how life worked.

"**Alas… it seems to be getting late, and I must be going." **He moved from his solitary corner in a hurry, black robes trailing behind him in an attempt to sweep away the moment of weakness. He then brushed past Pyrrha without further comment or molestation, only stopping so that he could have the final word, **"… don't do anything I wouldn't." **

And before she could so much as reply, his titanic form was swallowed by the becalmed crowd, his disturbance disappearing beneath waves of relief.

There was a renewed feeling of hope spreading itself through the gathering like an alcoholic's blush. It was a warm, heady sensation enough to banish the long night's chill and make people forget their anger. It wasn't entirely rational; both Humans and Faunus had collectively decided to embrace the humor of the situation, instead of the hate. They embraced one another, jostled their neighbors good naturedly and once again reached across the divide with words instead of shouts and threats.

Though, as always, it was never too late to change.

"Such is the nature of the beast…"

Such was the way of the world. There was always a chance for things to go wrong, even now when those possibilities seemed as far away as the coming dawn.

But for better or worse, a new day would always come and bring with it new hopes and challenges. Today things had been settled without Pyrrha having to lift a finger. She had little doubt that it wouldn't always be like that. And yet, even unattended, neglected, her smile continued to glow dimly within that charcoal-black hoodie.

"And when that day comes… I wonder… will you miss us, too?"

* * *

"We… missed it?"

It wasn't until early the next morning that team RWBY learned the aftermath of their encounter with Torchwick and the White Fang. It was still dark out, and yet they were as switched-on and buzzing as the hospital's overhead fluorescent lamps with the news.

"But how?! We were fighting right next to the Dust containers the whole time and only saw Neo-Ow!" Ruby rubbed her arm where a fairly nasty bruise was still apparently healing. It had only been a few hours since they had been admitted, and yet that seemed to be enough rest for the previously comatose captain (the dozen juice-boxes her sister had snagged for her probably helped, too). "What'd you do that for, Weiss?"

Because even though Ruby's partner had been awake for the whole time, before that she had just come back from the dead and so was not nearly as perky. Also, because the hospital's night-staff had given up trying to shush the four students, Weiss took it upon herself to remind her leader.

"Hush," She shifted around in her own gurney to face the two guest chairs, earning an appreciative nod from the police officers who looked like they hadn't gotten much of a break since they last met, either. "As you were saying?"

"Taking into account all your testimony, we're fairly certain that the SDC shipment was stolen before it even arrived at the docks." Head bobbing like a buoy as he struggled to stay awake, the second-in-command reread the notes over the rim of his sunglasses he had neglected to take off even indoors. "There's a record of it coming in, but no official acceptance stamp. Easy to blame on the workers wanting to take off early on account'a the protest."

"In this town, signature just as easily could'a been bought." The first chimed in, looking like he was off the clock with the way he flopped into the high-back chair, but showing that he was still alert. "That is, unless good ol' Jacques wasn't havin' it on with all of us Southerners. Usin' the Dust as bait, m'haps?" His sagging shoulders raised mildly as Weiss glared. "Had to ask."

"No, that does sound like something _he _would do." She admitted with a sigh, wondering about the _other _emphasized pronoun and searching her friends to see if they had the same thought. What had the Grimm been up to while they were occupied? "-But in this case, I doubt it. When I looked at his records, the payment was made by one of the larger corporations in Vale. And there's no way the SDC could afford to make enemies out of them by not delivering."

"Of course, this all depends on us taking your word for it." Matching Weiss's sigh and her post-mortem stiffness, the first officer sat up in his chair with some difficulty. "-Although, ain't much of a reason not to. CEO's kid admittin' to what amounts as corporate espionage isn't exactly the ideal alibi."

"Plus, we double checked. Your Faunus friend really did arrive just this- yesterday morning. And since there's no trans-comms on the boat, no way he could have been in on it." Flipping his notepad shut in disgust, the junior officer appeared to be contemplating handing it to the next nurse who walked in the door and checking himself into the psych ward. "-Unless this whole thing is a crazily elaborate setup- which I refuse to believe."

"Gonna have to start believing in some pretty crazy shit, what with the way this case is goin'." As he hauled himself to his feet, the lead officer missed the surreptitious look that was passed around by the huntresses.

"Four shipping containers full of Dust vanish into thin air, our primary suspects are all witnesses, we're without a paper trail or even a scrap of evidence…" Even with the notebook firmly shoved into his jacket pocket and all of it wadded up into his meaty fists, the facts of the case were etched into the officer's mind. "Honestly seems like we're fu-"

"Furthermore!" Ruby's outburst earned four sets of 'shushes' this time, and she cringed but did not capitulate. "Furthermore… you didn't find anything about the White Fang?"

"Kid-"

"-We aren't normally supposed to discuss a case with the public," The lead officer cut his partner off with a twitch of his hand, "But, since you have been rather forthcoming with us, and we haven't exactly been the _most helpful _of civil servants…" Not exactly approachable now with curse words being mumbled under his bitters-soaked breath. Yet, it was certainly better than before.

"Not to mention we're huntresses," Having partly woken up when the police were about to leave, Yang felt obliged to add something. "-In training."

"-Right. So… no. We don't have any leads that we can currently act on." Ignoring the teens which were acting their age, the investigator gave one last probing look to the seemingly more mature woman in the room. "You will, of course, let us know if one of you happens to _stumble _upon any info?"

"Of course," Blake said coolly; about the only thing she'd said since the uniformed police had carted away her former White-Fang cohorts. To the Lieutenant's credit, he hadn't said anything either and simply stared past the bars of the paddy wagon as it pulled away.

"Then, ladies,"

Tipping the hats they'd also left on inside, the two reformed officers turned and left.

"We failed."

Surprisingly, it was Yang who offered this dismal outlook, looking forlornly at her sister who was still hooked up to an IV that by now was mostly for show.

"We survived, didn't we?" With two of their teammates bedridden, it would have been hard taking solace in this. Except for the fact that it was Blake who said it, and the dark-haired woman seldom offered an opinion on the bright side. Moreover, she herself sounded convinced of it- dare they say… content? "Isn't that enough?"

In light of it all, perhaps it wa-

"That remains to be seen," Looking out the window, Weiss saw the sun just beginning to rise and from that, inferred something they had all just about forgotten. "We have class in… four hours. Do you think we can really make it through that?"

Asking half in jest, the four looked at each other for half an uncomfortable minute before they all burst out laughing.

Where the hospital had done little more than patch up some superficial injuries and ameliorate some mild dehydration, this bout of amusement seemed to be just what the doctor ordered.

However, as she tried to hide her unwomanly chortles, something out the window caught Weiss's eye. To anyone else it might as well have been a bug on the glass pane, a floater in the corner of the eye. But what floated above the horizon Weiss had seen many times before, and she knew the airship's daggerlike shape as she knew every defect in her weapon- every defect in herself.

"Winter…"

* * *

"Finally!" Roman fearlessly griped at the dark corner of the room. "You're late."

"**And you're inconvenient, incontinent, irritable and… soaked in blood, apparently- like a heavy flow. Your point?"** Though he was admittedly taken aback by Roman's rediscovered backbone, Jin didn't pause to point out the obvious as he waltzed into the warehouse and made himself at home. Though as he was about to toss his robes on a crate seemingly designated for this purpose, he noticed with some private chagrin that the pile of clothes laying on top was actually Neo, wrung-out in desperate need of a wardrobe change. **"Interesting. Anyway, need I remind you where you stand on this totem pole, **_**human**_**? I'll give you a hint: if I wanted your input, I'd spread my toes." **

A clawed foot slammed into the crate up by Roman's head, but at this point, it was hardly surprising.

"Can we cut through the dick-swinging contest? You know, you show up out of nowhere all dark and intimidating, make everyone wet themselves with fear until you strike a deal and let them think they've actually won something outa you, blah, blah, blah…" Roman rolled his eyes, purposefully averting them from where the Grimm's leg terminated. "If you're really gonna to kill me after all this for telling the truth, I think I'd almost prefer it at this point if you'd just hurry up and get it over with."

"**We both know that it **_**wouldn't **_**be quick." **Slowly lowering his leg, Jin loomed over Roman who was trying his very best to not be hypocritical. **"-But you're right. This arrangement works on the fact that what I offer is supposed to be less painful than the alternative. So, why don't you tell me what's got your panties in a bunch this time? Otherwise, the beatings will continue until moral improves." **

"Tch. Talk about beatings, those kids of yours pack a punch." The blonde one especially. Roman rubbed his chin with a hand that was covered more in bandages than by his normal leather glove.

"**Excuse me?" **But it was that voice which caused the criminal to wince. **"What do you mean by, '**_**my**_**' kids?" **

"What? You asked me not to kill them. I'd say it's obvious that you've got a soft spot for them like I do Ne-"

"**-You keep them alive, and I continue to keep Ozpin off your back."** And against a conscious effort not to, Roman found himself backing up against the wall of crates. **"Or, we could once again drop the pretense of civility and I go back to **_**telling **_**you what to do with the assurance that **_**I will kill you **_**if you make a slip like that again!"**

This was the thing that Neo normally liked about Jin: the fact that his anger was so clearly a pretense even to himself, and yet everyone would _have _to believe it because there was no other choice.

But tonight… after what happened… she just _couldn't._

***THUNK***

Both creature and crook turned their heads to where Neo had sunk the handle of her broken sword into the crate, showing that the imperfect tool could still do its job. Her murderous glare might have just been a pale reflection of the Grimm's, but it conveyed its message.

"…**It looks like you could use a replacement sword." **This, of course, wasn't the point. But Neo understood the art of unspoken words, and knew this was the closest thing they would get to a concession. **"As it happens, I know one that could use a new owner. And as for you," **

Roman lost any thoughts of blackmail as Jin turned his red eyes on him.

"**A weapon's only as good as the one using it. I suggest you become a worthy owner before someone decides to come and **_**take **_**what's most precious from you. Now," **Finally removing his robe and letting it drop carelessly to the ground, the action confused the two scofflaws who had the impression they were nearing the end of this impromptu meeting. **"Speaking of **_**snakes **_**and inadequacies… I'll admit you've done a better job than most, but I am getting **_**seriously **_**annoyed with people thinking they can sneak up on me. That, and you have **_**very **_**poor timing considering I'm already pissed. So why don't you come on out before this place becomes an open floorplan?" **

This last comment he seemed to address to the same far corner from which he emerged. But what stepped out of the darkness was the antithesis of what they were expecting.

"Oh! Please forgive me, I did not mean to intrude," With the utterly blithe look on the woman's face, they could almost believe it. She stepped from the shadows unwaveringly, unwittingly into a very dangerous situation. And yet, there was something purposeful about her… "But actually, if you do not mind me saying, this seems to be the _perfect _opportunity."

"**Oh? You have a death-wish, girlie?" **Despite prior warnings and attitude, Jin seemed to perk up at this opportunity to stretch his legs and ameliorate his need to destroy something. **"It's only fair to warn you, Ginger, you can run, run, run as fast as you can, but I'm still gonna catch you and eat you up in the end." **

"Um, my name isn't Ginger."

But she still displayed a very cookie-cutter expression of confusion as she tilted her head, hair as orange as Roman's swaying perfectly like a Newton's cradle. In fact, if it weren't for the fact that she was the embodiment of innocence, she could have been the crook's cousin.

"Ah! But how foolish of me, I haven't introduced myself yet! Greetings and salutations! My name is Penny, Penny Polendina!"

"Well, um, Penny," Roman eyed the girl warily, wondering if he was about to be demanded child support and checking in his mind for all former contacts with the last name 'Polendina'. "I'm Roman, this here's Neo, and the big guy there is-"

"Oh, I know who all of you are," The only thing this assured them of was the fact that this girl was _not _what she seemed, because no one in their right mind- hell, _no one _should know about Jin, period! And yet, she stared at him- was focused on the Grimm and no one else with green eyes that matched the grin on her freckled face. "After all…"

The girl with copper-wire hair raised her hand, pointed it at the red-eyed monster with the utmost look of pride on her face freckled face.

"I'm here to kill the Jinchῡriki!"

* * *

**Chapter title: 'Battle for Clear Sight' by Larry and His Flask**

***By the way, for those who care, part of the reason this took me so long to get out is because I seriously think about the physics of things and very often overthink it. This example is a misconception about air. A lot of people think that when space capsules and the like go in for reentry, that it's the friction of the air causing them to heat up. Not true. It is the PRESSURE of the air being shoved out of the way. Water is incompressible, which is why it's good for pumps. But air follows the ideal gas law of Pressure x Volume = n(Number of moles, i.e. how much there is) x R ( Ideal gas law constant) x Temperature. When you increase the pressure but keep everything else the same, the other side has to go up. Obviously you're not changing the amount of air or R, so temperature goes up. Hence why pressure causes heat, and depressurizing things like a Co2 cartridge gets cold.**

**Also, the original (complicated) explanation for why Ruby is able to see Neo's illusions is this: human brains process sight and sound differently. We actually process sound FASTER than sight simply because there's less information. The difference is like 4 or 5 nanoseconds, but it matters because our brains stitch together the sight and sound in our head so they APPEAR to happen at the same time. Obviously, because of her super-speed, Ruby would have to process visual signals faster than a normal human. Thus, Neo's illusions which are geared for a normal human, after a while might look like a video with extremely bad audio lag as Ruby's brain adapted to them. So Ruby would be able to tell that they're not real, and her brain would automatically reject them as such. Yes, our brains really do trick us like this every day. **


	17. Sleep is for the Weak

**Hey, I am not too far off on my estimate this time! Only about a day late, and boy, this chapter is a doozy! It just kept getting longer and longer... kind of like term papers... which I am finally done with! Haha! Suck it, college! One more final exam left and then I am free... to join the real world and find a job. **

**Oh well. I can't promise you guys that I'll be able to update faster now that I have (almost) graduated. In fact, I'll probably be even busier. But, in the few months that I am in transition, I will try my very best to crank out some quality smut- I mean, storyline for you guys. I know I owe you all some good scenes, and so much more than that. Mwa! Love you guys!**

**Noch Weiter!**

* * *

Sleep was not as easy to come by as she made it seem.

It wasn't as simple as closing one's eyes and succumbing to nonexistence; existence was pervasive, annoying. The world outside had a way of asserting itself through any of the five senses. Distractions in the form of bright lights like neon signs, cacophonous noises, knocking on doors which invited extraneous ideas like salesmen hocking their tawdry wares.

How hard it was, to forget.

It was not enough to simply relinquish control. That just invited thoughts to run wild, or, for someone else to step in.

The trick to sleep, therefore, was learning not only how to ignore the insatiable stimuli, but also being able to accept whoever was at the helm.

Which was why Matatabi hadn't had a good night's rest in a long, long time.

It was why, when their stagnant world began to change, when the perpetual night sky brightened just the tiniest bit, she noticed.

The demigods and demons continued to fight their brilliant battle overhead. However, the Two-Tails had learned to tune out these distractions, and instead she focused on the invasion of pale blue on the horizon.

"**So, morning still comes after all…" **

Eyes like a propane flame burned the concept into her mind, lips curling into a crescent moon smile.

Even when the hours passed and the sky remained in that everlasting state of twilight, she did not lose her contented smirk.

Instead, at last, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

Winter awoke with her head resting against the cabin's pressurized window, sunrise barely creeping over Vale's purple mountain range. It had been night when they left Atlas, a journey of many hours. However, she'd only managed to rest for the tail end of the trip, right before dawn's first light roused her.

Funny how the windows of her personal cruiser were rated against 14.5 mm Burn-Dust rounds, yet they couldn't be bothered to install blinds.

Though in point of fact, it was not the light which woke her, but the warmth. Rays of light speared her through the double-paned plexiglass and dissolved the cold vacuum on the other side. They burnt away at Winter's dreams like a plasma blowtorch put to snow.

They reminded her of that day.

She had been dreaming of it, reliving it. That time lived in Winter's memories as the coldest she'd ever felt in her life.

Winter liked the cold, but this had been different. Possibly because it had been an achingly long deployment far north of her familiar territory. Possibly because she had missed breakfast that morning and their unit had been conserving rations for the previous few days. Possibly because they had been holed up in a glacial valley, unprotected from the biting arctic winds for hours before being called to action.

Although, it was most likely the chilling phenomenon of coming so close to _death_.

The front lines had been so hot that her exposed skin had come away with sunburns. But during the moment of truth Winter had been frozen, literally and figuratively as the blood drained from her hands and face. She had been unable to defend herself- even to run away as the icy-blue holocaust consumed all the air before it could reach her lungs. It cut through bedrock as effortlessly as the snowpack above and she would have been dead- she _had been _dead; that is, if it hadn't been for-

"_Lt. Schnee, we are beginning our final approach to Beacon Academy and have received confirmation of landing permissions." _

The crackling voice of the intercom shook her from her wayward, lucid thoughts. She'd been so close to falling back to sleep- back into that _nightmare_ where she'd had no control.

She jabbed the intercom button. "Thank you for letting me know. Any word from the General about a rendezvous?"

"_Report's in that the General has already arrived safely. Negative on further instruction." _

Freed, then, from all but her standing orders which remained like watchdogs in the background. Winter would have at least a few hours to herself.

Although, she'd paid for that free time with hard work. And the break wasn't really for herself, but reserved for visiting her sister. Responsibility towards family was a kind of duty mixed with pleasure. For as much as she loved her younger sibling, there were times when Weiss truly aggravated her.

-Then were the times that she would recall that day. And for as much anger, loathing, _hatred _she felt towards that inhuman Monsterfor _slaughtering_ her comrades in the freezing cold of the arctic circle-

Was there not a selfish part of Winter that was still grateful she had been spared?

"Is the lamb supposed to be happy that the vegetarian did not eat him?" Winter asked out the window as the ship descended past fleecy white clouds.

After some groggy debate, she decided to skip breakfast. Though she would need the energy for another long day ahead, the night before had come up and dissolved her apatite like stomach acid.

Instead, she made herself a strong cup of coffee. Yet, sitting in her hand, it would perpetually feel lukewarm.

* * *

"**Hmm… I'm hungry." **

Glynda halted in her step and looked up from her full plate of work at the disguised Man-Grimm walking next to her who was currently behaving more like a Man-Child. Somehow, despite her years of experience as an educator, Jin had a habit of making her feel like a first-time mother.

An analogy that _really _didn't sit well with her.

"Hmm… it has been a while since we last had you clear out the Grimm," Meanwhile, the other childish personality she daily dealt with had stopped as well and was unflinchingly sipping his cocoa. "However, we simply haven't been getting as many coming near the school lately. Bartholomew speculates that for some reason, they have altered their migration patterns out past Mountain Glenn. He has been begging me to give him a furlough from classes to go and study them. Although, I suspect you already know this."

"_**Recent events **_**have not exactly discouraged Green-Bean from getting underfoot." **On the best of days, one could not escape a conversation with Ooblek. Even after surviving one of the worst days with Jin, the doctor still managed to nearly talk the Grimm's sensitive ears off. **"You could send the two of us on a little 'fieldtrip' to find out, kill two birds with one stone." **

Obvious it would be less of a safari and more of a slaughter, still, Ozpin considered it.

"…No, I'm afraid that I can't spare the Doctor right now," Not with everything currently happening at Beacon and around Vale all at once- actually, they could ill afford this current pause, given who was waiting on them. And so, Ozpin kept walking, thinking out loud as the three made their way along the open path. "And understand, I can't let you go out on your own. Not now, with our current… guests."

Things were busy gearing up for the Vytal festival at the same time violent disturbances were on the rise. Public security being of prime concern, Vale's Royal Council had gone over Ozpin's head and invited Atlas as more than just participants in the tournament. Now the skyline and Beacon's lawn were crowded with a flotilla of pure-white ships like shuttlecocks being batted into the headmaster's court. Though the floating Amity Coliseum was still on its way, an arena of eyes was already on them.

"However… first-year assignments are coming up soon. I could arrange it to have one of the teams escort you under the guise of a mission. You'd still have to exercise caution, of course… of course, it would have helped if you hadn't also alienated half the teams I would consider sending."

"**Feh, I was just being me. Way I see it, you were just wrong about **_**them**_**," **Ozpin stopped once again to look back at him, heedless of the tight schedule. He wasn't moving, and Jin's smirk dissolved like the steam from the headmaster's cooling cup. He conceded the man's point with a pouting grunt, and then they kept walking. **"Fine. If you say I really need a parole officer… I guess I'll settle for the other four." **

"I'll see what I can do." Ozpin certainly wasn't going to introduce any more variables into the equation at this point. As much as he'd like to expand Jin's contacts within the student base, right now he hardly trusted the Man-Grimm with anyone less than Glynda watching.

"-Wait a minute, Ozpin-!" The assistant headmistress stumbled but her boss wasn't slowing, seeming not even to think as he leapt to this decision. "We can't let him around the students after what hap-"

"I don't have much of a choice, do I?" Ozpin sighed, the bitter comment falling from his lips and mixing with the marshmallows in his hot chocolate. The frown he could hide with another sip from his porcelain mug, but there was no ignoring the cruisers which parked themselves as neatly as china plates across his school's lawn. It was a delicate situation, for sure. "I am not sure if Ironwood even knows I let our Jinchῡriki run free. And if he somehow finds out before I get a chance to break it to him, I want to at least _pretend _like I'm keeping an eye on Jin."

"The General isn't stupid. He'd hardly believe that four _first year students _could possibly keep a handle on _Him_."

"_**He's **_**standing right here," **Jin grumbled, almost appearing to sulk under his heavy robes. Interestingly, the Grimm looked to be worn out that day, as if he really was running on low fuel. And if they hadn't been running late, Glynda might have also noticed how he seemed out of sorts, spacy as if he had just been awoken and was trying to recollect a dream.**"…And you'd be surprised the **_**foolish **_**ideas humans come up with… besides, that's assuming the good General even recognizes me." **

"Oh, please!" However, Glynda was tired herself of indulging the two men's fantasies. "Less than two years and a few tatty robes are hardly adequate to hide your appearance from those who have had the _unique _experience. What makes you think that the moment he spots you, the General won't-"

"Ozpin!"

To her chagrin, Jin was right about one thing- well, two, actually.

_He_\- the General, that is- had been standing there. Now he was briskly walking towards them down the stone promenade, flanked by a platoon of robotic soldiers but, thankfully, not a living guard in sight.

Jin also predicted that the man who was keenly sharp in every other respect wouldn't see him- or at least, didn't register the Grimm as a threat. Even having half his body replaced by electronics didn't appear to make Ironwood immune from human myopathy as he blatantly ignored the black, elephantine Grimm in the background and headed straight for his old comrade.

"It's good to see you, my friend." The firm clasping of hands with his fellow headmaster was overdubbed by the crack of Atlesian Knights halting at attention a few steps back. "It's been too long… though I do wish this reunion was more voluntary on you part."

"It's true, the council twisted my arm. I am not quite as omnipotent as people are want to believe, still but a man, and a loyal subject," Yet he could still meet the Atlesian General on equal terms, shake the metallic hand of a cyborg who was but a couple checks and balances away from becoming a despot. And yet, both still knew that Oz had the upper hand. "The fact that you understand my predicament without me spelling it out for you is one of the reasons it will _always _be good to see you, James."

"Despite getting a few knocks to the head when I was young, I still remember a thing or two an old man taught me," With a wink, Ironwood knocked his head back to draw attention to his entourage. "And I'm still grateful to that old man. I'll happily play the 'foreign invader' for you, Oz. Despite their flaws, there are a few things androids are good for."

"Indeed. I was not looking forward to deploying my forces inside of Vale." Though he still eyed the automata warily- and with the corner of his eye, noticed Jin doing the same. Interesting. What concern had he in Atlas's robots? "Not only can I ill-afford the loss of manpower, even in the best case, resentment between huntsman and the populace would be unavoidable. And this, I can afford even less."

"I understand completely. The current situation requires delicacy-"-Which was not something the General was known for, Jin standing as a reminder just how reckless the man could be sometimes. And if Ozpin had the time and the resources, he would want to know how Ironwood was dealing with his own Faunus populace. Then again, Atlas itself wasn't known for its liberal thinking. "-Which is why I chose to bring the 3rd Mechanized Autonomous Infantry Division; the AK's will be much easier to organize and control than human squads when deployed in security patrols throughout the city."

"Plus, the only thing people resent more than man-eating monsters are faceless, unfeeling robots." Behind his veil, Jin noted Glynda's violent judgement of the Atlesian Knights. If possible, her normal scowl was so severe that he almost expected the 'unfeeling robots' to suddenly fall on their knees and beg forgiveness. "They'll make fine scapegoats."

"Luckily, the AK's don't feel the same," at the same time, a frown was beginning to form on the General's stony face, and he tried to hide it, "Otherwise, you might have hurt their feelings with that comment, Glynda. They, however, don't suffer from the same lapses in judgment as their human counterparts."

"Now, General, don't go making me regret _my _judgement," Though it was said with the lilt of a jest, Ozpin clearly wanted to cut this argument off at the bud. "Besides, I was counting on the presence of Atlesian Knights. In this case, their impersonality works in our favor. If I and Vale's administration are to keep our hands clean of the Faunus matter, it is best to have a third party which doesn't betray any personal feelings."

"Well, you can certainly count on the AK-200's for that," Interpreting Ozpin's acknowledgement as a blessing, the military man could not help boasting a little about his toys. "I thought that you might have other subjects that you wanted to discuss in private, so we can rely on the AK's to provide security and not to betray any sensitive information."

"**And how can you be sure of that?" **

"Excuse me?" The General stumbled when faced with this outlandish question and the even more surprising voice behind it.

"**How can you be sure they won't let you down? Do you even know how they work, or is what goes on inside just a black box to you?" **Ironwood had a hard time seeing where he was going with this, the stranger's thought-process and face both hidden behind the black veil. But still, there was something familiar about him- not to say trustworthy. **"If not, how can you be sure that they don't have thoughts sloshing around inside those buckets?" **

"That's preposterous, none of the AK series are programmed for independent thought."

"**Ah, but they still think, don't they? Otherwise, how would they carry out their soldiering functions? And one assumes they talk, too, given they can digest orders. Perhaps you have just never listened to what they have to say… or never bothered to ask." **

"…Who _are _you?"

Ironwood finally asked- even if it did come out more as a demand. He had pretended to be unbothered by the stranger's presence, his association with Ozpin being enough of an assurance. But the General's own arrogance unfortunately could not share the spotlight.

"**Really, you don't recognize me?" **There was a niggling sensation on the back of the General's neck, and it only grew stronger as the stranger moved from the back of the group towards Ironwood until he loomed over the sturdy army man. **"How 'bout now?"**

Still, getting closer to the black mass didn't make anything but the threads covering his face clearer- until he caught sight of those fragmented eyes, and all the pieces fell together.

"You!" Ironwood exclaimed, "You're-"

* * *

_Twelve hours earlier:_

"…You are the Jinchῡriki, correct?"

No one was saying anything for or against- after all, this completely unassuming girl had just declared that she was going to slay the greatest beast Remnant had every known- to his face!- and until right now, she sounded so self-assured. The concept was laughable.

Except that no one was.

Okay, so to be fair, Roman and Neo were perhaps a tad thrown by the term 'Jinchῡriki', confused to its significance as something other than the Grimm's formal name. But the fact remained that she was _clearly _referencing him. And if this weren't outlandish enough in and of itself, Jin wasn't laughing _either_! Where they expected a maniacal cackle of contempt from the monster, there was nothing- not a guffaw, snort or even a titter.

"Did I say something wrong?" -And this girl… was still totally unaware of the danger she was in. "Ah! You do not have to worry about me, I assure you. I am combat ready!"

"**Who are you?" **The Grimm asked with genuine curiosity, not the usual condescension that Roman and to a lesser extent Neo had expected and gotten used to.

"Huh? Didn't I just introduce myself? Well, that's alright. My name is Penny, Penny Polendina, it's a pleas-"

"**No, it's not," **Hardly a fun experience for any of them, only the odd girl seemed to still be smiling. Though even this fluctuated slightly like a radio signal when she was interrupted. **"Your name isn't 'Penny Polina' or whatever you said it was, because you're not a person. You're a Durama doll with metal instead of papier-mâché, hollow inside except for a caged soul. You possess Aura only in the way ashes belong to an urn. Hell, the Gingerbread Man was more alive than you!" **

This was without a doubt news to Roman and Neo. But the girl- _gynoid_ had clearly expected it, the only sign she'd been shaken by the reveal was that her smile was wiped away like an etch-a-sketch.

While both humans had inferred something _off _about the bubbly girl, seeing her with so blank an expression was just plain _wrong_.

"…Father warned me that you might not be very nice." A clinical understatement of the sort that could only be made by a computer. A reboot later and the robot was again sporting her blithe smile.. "Father also told me that if you said something like that, I should ask you… which of the souls you have inside is yours?"

Again, to the two humans this was nonsense- but not meaningless, oh no. Meaning was palpable, physical. There was a shift in the atmosphere, a transmutation as air became like water to breathe and a column of ocean settled on their shoulders. Jin was as calm as they'd ever seen him, but his rage was invisible. It was invincible as both Roman and Neo suddenly lost the desire to fight entirely and just give up on life.

But then it vanished, and the lifelike doll continued to stare in mild confusion but clearly unaffected.

"**Heh, omoshiroi*…" **A single laugh understated the insanity, allowing the situation to keep becoming more interesting. **"So, who sent you? There are plenty of people who want to kill me but only a few **_**stupid **_**enough to try. I know Ozpin, and **_**he**_** knows that he can't get rid of me with anything but his best. And that Cinder woman thinks she's the best, her own personal pride wouldn't allow her to send an assassin to do her dirty work." **

There was also the fact that Penny had said 'father' and thus implied that the person was male, though Roman had often wondered if his human boss had a bit of an Electra complex.

"**Which leaves… let me guess, your 'daddy's' the Tin Man?" **

Finally, there was a reference Roman comprehended- but it didn't make him feel any better.

"You mean… she was sent by Ironwood?!" Having Vale's police on to them was one thing. To be in betwixt the mighty hammer of Atlas and the immutable anvil that was Jin would just be plain suicide! "Fuck! If that's the case, there is nothing- you hear me, _nothing _that'll keep me here. You might as well kill me now because I ain't getting involved with-"

With a single, lazy eye cast behind him, the Grimm let Roman know he was on the wrong side of his ire.

"Oh, no, the General's not my father," However, apparently Penny didn't get the message, even when the angry glare came back to her. "Although, Father did tell me to think of the General as more like an uncle… the same as the Jinchῡriki!"

Now, they were thoroughly confused.

"**-No," **Though this did not stop Jin from making his pronouncement. **"I'm already an Uncle. Pick something else." **

Oddly enough, it was the simpler, seemingly conventional conversations that confused the gynoid. Penny paused to mull on the issue, and they could practically see the heat from her memory cards bleeding off in waves.

"Well… Tousan *hick!* Father did say that he was inspired by 'the unique challenge you possessed', but that I was based predominately off his own research, so…" Penny's face emulated deep thought as she processed this seemingly simple concept. But the answer lit up her face in what appeared to be divine inspiration. "Ah! You are Mother!"

He was dying inside- soon to be out. Hands plastered to his mouth, Roman **knew **that he couldn't afford to laugh- at the same time, he couldn't afford to keep it bottled inside. Laughter like a fizzy soft drink was about to pop its top with disastrous consequences, and each second brought another bout of agitating, acid carbonation through his bloodstream. Neo was lucky- the conclusion had simply bowled her over, off the crate where presumably she bumped her head and was knocked unconscious.

"**No. That's not how that works. That's not how **_**any **_**of this works." **Jin couldn't even look at the robotic woman without his head hurting. Reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose, his claws dug into the boney mask like a chisel but failed to release the building migraine. **"Could you… just go back to the part where you wanted to kill me, please?" **

"Okay-!"

"**-But first!" **

It was a day for a lot of firsts as far as Torchwick was concerned. It was a considerable struggle trying to understand how this girl (and the fact that she wasn't human but had a soul was hard-enough to wrap his head around) was not already a fleshy stain on the warehouse wall- or a pile of metal shavings, whatever.

Whatever the case, the Grimm had some other purpose with Polendina for which he kept her intact- some ulterior motive like he had with the students, with Neo and Roman himself. However, what that was, was known only to him. As playthings, perhaps, or collectables in a very limited series.

Though if this were the case, as Roman was beginning to suspect, why not preserve them like specimens behind glass with those godlike eyes of his?

"…**Why?" **Jin reiterated the question at Penny, the android's face again forming a mold of confusion. **"As I said before, there are plenty of people that want my head, and they have plenty of good reasons for it. I'm an asshole, a bastard, a menace. I have killed thousands- perhaps millions over my lifetime either directly or by failing to act. I have violated the moral contracts of both Gods and men.**

"**In other words, there is a **_**long **_**line ahead of you, girl. So, what skin do you have in the game? And if you don't have a damn good reason for wanting me dead, not only will you not stand a chance of defeating me, I won't even deign to give you that chance. **

"**So, speak. Prove to me you are worthy of my time."**

"I… do not understand." Not that Roman could blame her. But at the same time, he acknowledged his own claim on Jin's life was fledgling at best. "It was… I was built as a specific countermeasure to the threat of Jinchῡriki-class Grimm. It was determined that an artificial platform would have the best chance of overcoming the physiologic/psychologic effects of the unknown optical Semblance displayed by-"

"**Pathetic." **

Unlike the expressions she had displayed previously, Penny actually looked hurt by this. As if Jin had physically struck her, Penny's face deformed past its factory specifications into a furrowed look of discontent.

"**So, you are 'built' to kill me… but what if you do? What then?" **

"Then I would return to Father or the General for further-"

"**There is only **_**one **_**of me, girl. What about you? Do those blueprints in your head say that you're unique, or just the first unit off the assembly line? How many backups do you think they have ready to try and take me down when you **_**fail**_**?"**

How had this never come up? It was inconceivable that Penny's creators hadn't anticipated this kind of existential logic. Or, if they had, was there a purpose in sending out this clearly faulty prototype?

"**Are you alive, or aren't you? If so, what is **_**your **_**purpose in wanting to kill me? Where is the passion?! Where is the **_**hate?!" **_

"…Hate?"

"**Yes, hate," **Maniacal joy as JIn grinned. **"Hate is that which keeps the fire burning, the very thing that keeps me alive even **_**with **_**all those who wish my death. If you do not understand hate, you do not understand me and therefore have **_**no**__**hope **_**of victory." **

Victory had been his since the very beginning. And if time was really his motivation, Jin had been wasting quite a lot of it by talking. But his words weren't wasted on the gynoid- far from it. If her 'Father' truly knew about Jin, why had he created a weapon who would be swayed by sophistries?

"**You have a long way to go, little Durama." **Jin had already distanced himself from the conversation, leaving the robot girl in intense introspection. There was the sound of gears grinding as Jin lumbered past, Penny not looking at him with her limbs rigidly locked by her sides. **"When you figure out where hate figures into life… come back to me, and just maybe I'll give you that death you desire." **

And with that, he left.

Leaving, Roman realized, him with the aloof android and an unconscious Neo.

"Um- we're with him, so…" Quickly Roman grabbed his partner off the crates, threw her over his shoulder and crept past Penny. While she looked like she was on power-save mode, he didn't want to take any chances. "I'm just gonna-"

And then he got the hell out of that madhouse.

* * *

_Present:_

"…Ozpin… are you mad?!"

Not waiting for an answer, in his sanity and drive for self-preservation the General drew his weapon.

Except, before the Dust Revolver could come out, he found his arm locked at the elbow and Ozpin holding him back.

"Please refrain from doing anything rash, General. There was a reason I asked to meet you outside in the open." Without having to look Ironwood knew they were attracting attention. It then also became clear to him how Ozpin had foreseen his reaction and arranged it so that his students would serve as deterrents against a conflict. "Just remain calm, I assure you that everything will be explained."

The calm and familiar voice was no longer as reassuring as it should have been, and Ironwood decried the firm grip on his weapon hand.

"Relax, James," It was Glynda's weary sigh that went further towards restoring peace and normalcy to Beacon's front lawn. "He really isn't _that _bad. Just, a little obnoxious."

"**Really, that's how you'd describe me?" **

"Actually, no." Ironically, she desperately wanted to agree with Ironwood's assessment, having long thought Ozpin foolish for allowing the Grimm to take up residence. But this was not the time for Glynda to turn her back on her boss. "You are a walking calamity, a cretin, a slob, a drain on resources and most of all, an unremittent pain in the ass."

Looking accusingly up at the Grimm, Glynda turned her head so that both he and the General could see she meant every word.

"-But, in your own words, there are worse things."

There was no immediate diffusion of hostilities, no words as they all stared each other down. And behind them, the loyal ranks of Atlesian Knights which had followed their commander were now frozen in combat position, merely awaiting the signal.

"-Eeep!"

Everybody flinched at the noise.

Well, except for the Grimm.

And Glynda; it was more like she flew, shooting into the air like an accidental discharge and coming down awkwardly on her high heels.

As she stumbled and rubbed her rear, another bout of tension beset the group. Ironwood felt his friend's grip tense around his arm and instinctively sought to do the same, the two remaining men grabbing each other as if they could somehow be protected against the female's wrath.

Fortunately for them, Glynda's loathing glare was directed towards Jin who was otherwise unaffected. He merely shrugged off the apocalyptic atmosphere as if it were nothing more than mild humidity, his covered claws either miming the pinch he gave her bottom or playing the world's smallest violin.

"**Just trying to live up to expectations." **

Ironwood really did not know what to expect, not accepting the reality much like Glynda who heaved a sigh of resignation and straightened her skirt as if nothing happened.

"Anyway," Both headmasters were all too happy to sweep the incident under the rug, separating with a cough and averting their eyes in chagrin. The robotic army disengaged but nobody relaxed. "Jim… meet, Jin."

"**Yo." ** Jin raised his claw casually.

It was not the image Ironwood had seen before; the appendage looked so vastly different covered in loosely wrapped bandages instead of blood and gore. The Grimm's hunched posture was not the same as when he was hunting the Two-Tails, and the soot-colored robes were a world apart from that canvas of ash and snow.

But then again, it always came back to those eyes. They too looked different in person, though no less menacing than when they had been staring out at him from the reconnaissance photographs. Perhaps more vibrant? No, there was a distinct weariness that dulled them… dare he say, more lifelike- assuming such a thing could be attributed to this creature? That was one question he had never gotten answered, and General Ironwood had never allowed himself the curiosity.

Did this Grimm indeed have a soul?

"So…" The answer would not come to him, like an ambush, he had to spring it. "…You can talk."

The eyes twitched, much as the humans had before.

"**I would have thought that much would be obvious by now." **

"Last time we crossed paths you were not nearly so committed to the pretense of being intelligent." The proud man was slowly regaining some of his old sagacity, remembering that hewas the _man_ in the conversation, and making it more obvious by ironing out some of the wrinkles in his peerless white suit with a firm hand. "I had every reason to believe I was dealing with nothing more than a dumb beast; disregarding testimonials from my subordinates which said otherwise. How was I expected to believe that a Grimm could speak- let alone reason? At the time, it was much more reasonable to believe that anything the frontline troops overheard was merely parroted words and behaviors- delusions exacerbated by post-traumatic stress."

"**Again, did it ever occur to you to **_**ask **_**the source**_**?**_**" **Jin stressed, leaning over just so that the man could catch a glimpse of the bone mask which lay beyond the shroud- if not the madness which was squirming within. **"And, how about now?" **

Fundamentally… nothing had changed. The General held no delusions about what he was dealing with- and the Grimm gave no evidence to suggest he was anything but a dangerous beast:

Beneath the robes something inhuman writhed, wanting to be let out. And the Grimm's getting closer was a deliberate move to overwhelm Ironwood with his presence and the accompanying stench.

It wasn't bad in the way of, per se, latrine duty as a buck private. No, this odor was more reminiscent of the day young 'Jimmy' had earned his officer's stripes. He had been in a foxhole, during the last battle of the war. The captain who had awarded him the rank simply ripped the tabs off another lieutenant who had lost everything above the collar. It was a morbid smell, the musty reek of blood-soaked earth that lingered even after the rain had repeatedly tried to scrub it away.

"You killed dozens of my men."

"**I **_**saved **_**thousands that would have perished due to your foolishness." **

"Are you suggesting that I should be grateful to you- that I should be any less wary?"

"**-No," **Then, what was he fishing for? If not recognition, remuneration, reassurance? **"Hardly- By all means, be afraid. However, I am curious. If we are forced to deal with each other for the near future it would behoove me to know: do you hate me? Do you resent me for **_**slaughtering **_**your soldiers? Or just that they died in a battle that was all but pointless?" **

It had taken decades for the General to reconcile his own mortality, to say nothing of his duty. To say he was no longer conflicted on the matter would be a lie; he just hid it well. His poker face was probably so well calloused by now that it could even fool Ozpin- but not Jin. There was no point in lying to the eyes which could tear him apart like a hailstorm of shrapnel. So, instead, Ironwood confronted them, squared up and delivered what might very well be a declaration of war.

"Hate has its place on the battlefield."

Both Ozpin and Glynda started, thinking that despite the headmaster's best efforts, Beacon's front law was about to become a warzone. But, ever the optimist, Ozpin held them both back as he saw Ironwood heave a sigh.

"But… not here. I would be a hypocrite, not to mention a poor soldier, if I allowed such feelings to taint my decisions."

His choice left the Dust Revolver on his right hip holstered, his hand extending out towards the Grimm was empty instead.

This action, too, might have been as pointless as pointing his weapon at the beast. But Ironwood was not the type to simply give up and do nothing.

"**Not much meaning in offering a hand that isn't yours, is there?" **

"It was a mistake that cost me this arm; I am offering you my weakness," Admitting that he had made a mistake in attacking Jin wasn't much of a revelation. The value was in humility, human reaction as they bent to the Grimm's inevitability. "-However, with this I also promise you my strength, showing that I am committed to _fixing _my mistakes. At any point should you prove yourself to be the larger threat, I will not hesitate to treat you as such. And whatever you truly happen to be, Grimm, Demon or even God, I _will _find a way to smite you.

"And do not think that I have been idle since our last encounter. I simply know when to defer things to those more suited than myself for the task. Here I make you a promise: if you have a weakness, my research team will find it."

"**Ah, now **_**that's **_**the question, isn't it?" **It was something Ozpin offhandedly worried about as Jin accepted the General's hand, looking content as if he had struck the better deal. **"But for me, I now have the answer I wanted. So, without further ado, I believe I'm **_**over**_**due for my beauty sleep." **

No one could contradict the fearsome Grimm even if they'd wanted to, as all were surprise by his sudden about-face.

"**You all go on ahead and plan out the details. If you need me, you know where to find me… although, these days, best to call ahead with an appointment first." **

"Wait-Jin!" The name felt funny coming out of his mouth, not only because the 'N' had a sharp edge from cutting short the full title, Ironwood just never expected to be talking to the 'Jinchῡriki' it-_himself_. "Here, take this!"

Fishing something from his pocket, the man hocked it at Jin with mechanical coordination. In contrast, the Grimm caught it lazily- almost didn't, fumbling and muttering curses as he managed to keep the tiny device from slipping through his fingers like a sliver of soap.

"A while ago Ozpin asked me to get him a replacement pair of the old-style walkie-talkies. Now that I think about it, my guess is that one half of it was for you." The new device was less than half the size of the old brick-phone, but distinctly beefier than a standard scroll. If the civilian electronics were equivalent to a paper notecard, this was more like a pocket dictionary- something Jin might need if he was going to learn how to use it… if he even bothered. "It's not the latest model, but it has the most robust security software installed. Believe it or not, it was actually easier to get permissions allowing two of these outside of military inventory than rustling up a set of the legacy system."

"**Like either's really any problem for you," **For the Grimm, the tiny gadget was currently not his largest issue in life. In fact, its sleek black frame was almost camouflaged in his hand, and the creases of his palm prevented him from seeing where- if anywhere- there was an 'on' button. **"How the hell am I even supposed to use this thing, anyway?" **

"Guess you'll learn more of what it's like to be human: by trial and error," The General took this small victory with all the grace of his station, waving off his new 'subordinate's' concerns and turning his back. "Besides, I think it's about time you joined this day and age."

Though as he handed the matching device off to Ozpin, his mechanical arm clamped down and ratcheted the other headmaster in close. "And I think it's time _**I **_got caught up on a few things, Oz. His presence explains a lot of what's been going on in the world, but I still have no good answer as for why you decided to keep him _here_."

"That, my friend, is a topic best discussed inside over a cup of tea." About to lead his friend away to what was still a potentially catastrophic conversation, Ozpin paused and did a mental count. "Ah, actually, better make that a mug."

"As long as it has caffeine; it's already been a long day."

"**Whatever. I'm going to sleep." **

Content with what he had gleaned from the previous conversation, Jin could once again focus on catching that illusive prey. He left in swift pursuit, his claws aerating the lawn as he cut across and weaved through the new parking lot for airships.

It was unusual for the Grimm to be taking the shortest route; he was always more of a 'stop-and-maim-the-roses' - type guy. But torturing the teens- even that annoyingly optimistic girl- didn't hold any appeal for him right now.

He was tired. And, he was hungry.

These strictly 'human' afflictions actually seemed to be having an effect on him; he had trouble thinking of anything but sleep and sustenance- never mind that eating was more of a visceral pleasure for him. A habit- at this point, it was practically an addiction and he was suffering from withdrawal. It took all his concentration to finish up the game with the General, and now he was honestly too apathetic to follow up on the lingering questions:

The General's ignorance was real, but just how far did it extend? Did he not know about Penny, or just misunderstand her purpose? Ironwood was putting as much trust in his research team as he was his mechanical hand… Was it a case of the head not knowing what the hand was doing, or was this a case of the tail wagging the old military dog?

And, just who _was _Freckle's father?

Bah! Jin could barely focus on who he himself was- his head was _pounding _with the blows from the internal struggle and he was no longer able to silence the whispered suggestions of violence, nor even the desperate appeals for _compassion_.

_Why _was rest the one thing his body required? That period of unconsciousness was all but unbearable for him; he hated it. It wasn't simply being defenseless that he resented. It was the relinquishing of thought, becoming nothing. Staying awake wasn't an option; for even with all his strength, he couldn't keep control from slowly slipping away.

Hunger could be ignored, or, temporarily sated. Though the only good substitute for actually consuming- _killing, ravishing… consummating_\- was a good fight.

And with how far he'd slipped in his insomnia, he doubted that he could keep the battle from spilling over into an all-out genocide. Not that he was _entirely _opposed to the idea; he just needed to be sure it was what he wanted before he binged.

He needed to be sure it was what _he _wanted.

'_**Oh, and just how much longer do you need to be sure?' **_

It was only a matter of time. Lack of sleep made him sluggish, made it easier for one of their voices to slip in through the whirl of fragmented thoughts like an envelope under a locked door.

"**Oh, shut up…" **

'_**You keep telling yourself this…'**_ Like telling oneself not to think about an elephant, Jin couldn't help but picture the condescending sneer of the Uchiha looking down on him from the starless heavens._** 'How much longer must we play this fatuous little game? Another year, another generation, another century? How many times must humanity fail for to prove that they will never change?'**_

"**Who cares?" **These doubts were all in his head, anyway… literally.

'_**You do. Otherwise, what's the point in this silly little song and dance?' **_

"**It's called amusement," **Jin growled austerely, scratching the underside of one of the Atlesian vessels as he past like a jaded teen keying a car- it only served to whet his appetite. **"-Or has the great and powerful Uchiha Ghost forgotten how to have fun?" **

Although, did he _ever_ know how? To his chagrin, Jin could only recall lightheartedness coming from _the Other One_. And lately, even _He _did nothing but whine, his pleas losing out to Madara's caustic cynicism. Though he would never admit which he preferred… he never needed to.

'_**Oh, I remember everything, and I know you do as well. I know everything you do, including that which you deny. You have become such a consummate liar that you can even fool yourself.'**_

"**We're not the same, old man."**

'_**We are no different. You claim to dance to the beat of your own drum, but you still hear the same old tune. You think you are forging your own path, but the middle road between ideals still leads to the same place.'**_

Jin was walking in circles now, getting lost among the landing gear of Atlesian cruisers like so much chaff in the wheat.

'_**You love them.'**_

"_**Hell**_** no!"**

'_**Yes. Love, hate, death, life- there is no difference. Or rather, the only difference, is hope. If you truly hated people as much as you protest, you would simply end them. And if you loved them, you would use your power- **__**my **__**power, to end their suffering. Yet, you continue to dither, you continue to deny that you are like **__**That Boy**__** and yet you retain his hope that-'**_

"**-SHUT-!"**

***SCHLICK!***

The schizophrenic conversation was cut off abruptly, as sharp as the blade which came out of nowhere from between the all-white ships and sliced Jin across his face.

In the depths of his depravity he'd been unable to sense it. There'd been no prior warning, no malice attached to the saber's handle like a note tied to a brick.

An accident.

"**RRRRAAAAaaahahahah…haa…haha, ha, ha, ha, ha…" **

The cry of pain from his right eye drowned out the Uchiha's thread of thought like his bloody tears did the rough cotton fibers which had been forced into his flesh from his veil by the sword. In the darkness of eyelids clenched in outrage his own thoughts could gestate, a toxic fungus which once again regained control of his brain.

Oh, what a _wonderful _day this was turning out to be.

* * *

"I'm telling you; this is a _terrible _idea."

Weiss avowed with one hand over the bandaged and stitched hole just above her heart, the other with knuckles as white as the hospital gown clenched the flimsy material so hard it might tear.

"Would you rather your sister have her troops tear Vale apart looking for you?"

Blake asked semi-sarcastically as she steered Weiss's wheelchair around the potholes in Beacon's tile promenade. She was almost excruciatingly deliberate in this task, because in truth, she wasn't looking forward to the confrontation, either.

"I agree with Weiss!" Ruby declared, uncharacteristically vehement from her own vehicle. "I am feeling perfectly fine! There's no reason for us (or at least _me_) to be in these stupid wheelchairs!"

"Now, now, _Captain_, we wouldn't want to disobey the doctor's _orders, _would we?" Ruby's sister stressed with a pat from behind- that same reassuring hand pressed down and assured that _Ruby's behind _was firmly in the wheelchair's bucket-seat. "- Because I will _seriously _strap you into this thing if I have to."

"And if she don't, Kiddo, best be sure that _I _will." The semi-jovial voice slurred from a few paces behind the students, Qrow taking another swig from his flask while maintaining a hawk-like eye on his nieces. "You think I'm joking, but I practically had to knock-out your dad when he heard that his youngest daughter managed to find herself in the hospital."

"Oh, I believe it; Dad can be a little overprotective…" Ruby understated, overlooking the fact that her uncle had been the first on the scene after the cops and hadn't actually let either sibling out of his sight for the past eight hours.

"He's got a right to be, if this's what you girls get up to when I'm not around!" Some of his strong drink sloshed as Qrow pointed this out, spraying the huntresses in what was oddly reminiscent of the antiseptic smell of the hospital. "You still haven't even told _me _what happened, and I'm usually the one you two come to when you need to get bailed out- speaking of, Tai told me to tell you, Squirt, that you're now responsible for paying your own bail if it happens again."

"Seriously? Dad's trying to blackmail me with that?" Ruby rolled her eyes, knowing her father well enough that even if it should come to that, the man wouldn't think twice about _breaking _them out of prison- let alone posting bail. Although, she would try her best not to get put in that situation… again.

"Seriously, guys, this is why I'm not eager for you to meet my sister," The stress was getting to Weiss, heart thumping like the wheels of her chair as they transitioned to bricks and agitated her injury. As much as it pained her, she turned around to point an accusing finger at Ruby and Yang's Uncle. "-Especially _you_; I've heard you've had a few run-ins with Winter already, and what she's told me about you-… makes a lot of sense considering the situations these two maniacs get us into."

"I'm'a take that as a compliment," That said, Yang left her uncle hanging as the man presented his fist for a bump. "And don't act like you're not a part of all this, Princess."

"For as long as Winter is here, I will try to do just that." Although, it was getting harder for Weiss to pretend like she was above such shenanigans, especially when a soft voice from above reminded her:

"But it doesn't change the reality, does it?" Blake and Weiss were from different worlds, but somehow their mutual ignorance translated into understanding. "We decide our friends, but we don't get to pick and choose the problems they bring with them. We just have to learn to live with them."

"Yeah…" Admitting it was almost as irritating as her wound- as the fact that the woman had purposefully missed all her vital organs when stabbing her. She'd not spoken of this to anyone yet, but like Blake said, it didn't change the fact that _Neo _could have killed her at any point. "…or die trying."

"Or that," Appreciative of the bleak humor, Blake took one of her hands off the handlebars and placed it on the heiress's shoulder. "Can't say it's not exciting, though."

"Bah, Weiss's just all bummed 'cause she was KO'd when that blond hunk kissed her." Overhearing the two's heart-to-heart, Yang decided to add her own, lighthearted opinion. "Seriously, Weiss, you don't need to get yourself stabbed just to get boys' attentions, just try taking the stick out of your bu-"

"She- WHAT?!"

That train of thought came grinding to a halt, Yang nearly dumping her sister out on the lawn as she put on the brakes.

"…Oops?"

At least Yang had the decency to look chagrinned. Taking it one step further, she crouched behind her captain as the lot of them were confronted by what was surely as terrifying an image as Glynda Goodwitch that one time when a student had the gall to call her 'hot'.

Winter was enflamed; her team recognized the look that was distilled in Weiss's older doppelganger. In her, the emotion had been honed, weaponized and bottled up for years under the yolk of military doctrine until that smooth, porcelain façade finally cracked with the rough handling of a few words.

"_**You**_… I should have _known _you'd have something to do with this!"

Fortunately for Yang and the rest, her anger was directed over their heads. By ducking, the huntress exposed her uncle to the brunt of Winter's fiery tongue-lashing.

"Me?" Pausing just as he was pressing his flask to his lips for a much-needed drink, a trickle of the booze escaped its container as Qrow sputtered. "What did I do? I literally just got here."

"And what else is new?! You always seem to show up when the danger is over, just to rub it in my face!" When they first caught sight of her Winter's face had shown signs of exhaustion, before the dark bags under her eyes were burned away like lumps of coal. Now, her pale complexion was glowing red, except for her knuckles which somehow became even whiter. "Your Ozpin's lackey, aren't you? What could he possibly have you doing that's more important than making sure students don't end up in the hospital?!"

"Making sure that they don't end up in the grave,"

"-And what's this I hear about Weiss getting stabbed- and what, date-raped?!" But for all the blood rushing to her ears as she stormed up to the group, Winter didn't hear Qrow's comment. Which was just as well, because the huntsman had a hard time believing it himself, lately. "What else is going on here that I don't know about? Don't you _dare _say something like 'boys will be boys', because I swear I'll-!"

"You'll, what, _Lieutenant_?" Qrow stepped in front of his nieces, intercepting the irate woman before she could turn her hysterics on an innocent party. In this case, he doubted there was such a thing, but then again, this was a sacrifice he was used to. "Wanna write a sternly-worded letter to the school-board? – Or maybe you'll just jump the gun like you did the last time, then need me to bail you out again?"

On the sidelines, Weiss desperately wanted to speak up, to stand up out of that god-forsaken chair and defend her sister. However, this was a side of the story she'd yet to hear. And so, like a train-wreck, she found herself unable to look away.

"Face it, Ice-Queen, for all your so-called 'military intelligence', you don't know half of what you oughta."

"And someone like _you _ought to know when to keep his mouth shut. It's people like you who believe they are privy to some extraordinary knowledge- who think they _know better- _who screw things in the long run!" Winter was shorter than the huntsman by a margin that was probably matched by her temper. Most of the time, she didn't let these kinds of things get to her. But being confronted with her sister in a wheelchair was just plainly unacceptable. "And what do _you _know, anyway? The cheapest prices on booze? The number of ways to extend a bar-tab?"

It was only then, when the tall huntsman leaned down to whisper in her ear like he was revealing some grand secret, that Winter realized how close they had gotten.

"-Would you like to know why I'm so popular with the barmaids?"

So close now that she could feel his ungroomed stubble scratch her ear, grate on her nerves and ignite her senses, as if the cloud of alcohol which followed him was suddenly lit on fire. Even if Winter knew he was just trying to provoke her, she couldn't help but be reminded of the _last time- _the muggy heat, the mocking tone and the condescending darkness of eighteen months prior were just like a slap in the face.

***SMACK***

Qrow recoiled- was physically knocked back by Winter's backhand slap, her knuckles loosening a few of his teeth as they scraped against his jaw like a dull razor. With an iron-stained smirk, Qrow had to admit that Winter was one of the few women he knew who could possibly straighten him out with nothing more than her bare hand and sharp tongue.

It was true: he just couldn't help himself.

"Oh, you wanna go, Ice-Queen?"

Before arriving in Vale, Winter hadn't known exactly what she'd come there looking for. But after the excruciatingly long flight where she'd scored no rest, seeing her sister in such a pathetic state, upon being confronted by such an uncouth individual and still _not knowing _what in the hell was going on-

Yeah, Winter could use some decompression.

"HAAAAA!"

Even letting her make the first move, Qrow wasn't prepared for the sheer speed and ferocity with which Winter drew her sword and flew at him- or maybe it was just the fact that she led with her foot instead of her usual textbook slash that threw him off- knocked him clear off the walkway and away from team RWBY, into the hull of one of the countless parked cruisers.

"Okay, that was uncalled for…"

Even though he'd basically begged for it to happen, Qrow hadn't anticipated riling up his nemesis quite so quickly. Slowly he peeled himself from the bulkhead, rolling his neck and shoulders which had been pre-loosened by the jarring attack before he too drew his weapon.

"-But, if that's the way you want it…"

"Um, I think there are better ways to resolve the issue here…"

"Winter, please! It's alright, I'm fine!"

"Uncle Qrow, com'on, don't embarrass us like this…"

But neither adult was listening, and that troubled the teens more than they thought it would. It wasn't simply that they were being ignored, nor that their relatives were reacting in a way that, frankly, they should have expected…

It was the bloodthirstiness, the lust for battle that they had come to expect from one other, inhuman individual.

"Come on, girl, break his legs!"

"Nora?!" Surprised on the one side, Ruby nearly spilled out of her chair but was steadied on the other side as her fellow captain came to the rescue. "Jaune? When did you guys get here?"

"We've been looking for you for hours, actually," Ren's voice was like a patch of blue skies after being lost in a storm for days, and it further helped things return to an even keel. "It was only after you didn't show up for morning classes that we found out what happened. Pyrrha was distraught, so we immediately went to the hospital looking for you. But then when we found you had already checked out, we returned to the school. I didn't think we'd be able to find you in all this mess, but-"

***BOOM!* **

Wearily, the boy pointed into the sky where a column of smoke was now rising like a chimney.

"-Well, we followed the signs, and…"

"I'm glad that you are all okay," Pyrrha approached them, hands wringing so hard they appeared to have removed the top layer of skin, her face set in unvarnished worry. It was plain to see just how remorseful the girl felt about not being there to fight with them. "If I had known-"

"-You didn't," Blake was quick to cut off this line of thinking, before the trail led down to her own feelings of guilt. "Besides, we are all fine."

Though if Weiss had been listening, she might have denied this. She too was troubled- not understanding what had gotten into her sister and furthermore, not being able to do much about it.

"Come on!"

Though not about to be limited by her mobility, Weiss began to wheel herself off the tile pathway and onto the grass towards where her sister and partner's uncle were still duking it out.

"Wait- just hang on, Weiss-"

"-Let's go!"

Pyrrha seized the gap left by Blake, in the pause, grabbing the chair's handles and surged forward. Hardly realizing what she was even doing, Pyrrha applied her polarity so that the metal frame hovered a finger's width above the ground and the two flew after the trail of discretion.

"-Wait up, guys!"

But Pyrrha found herself racing against the clock, leaving the rest of the gang in the dust and her passenger pressed into the padded leather seat. Weiss sat uncomplaining- though that was perhaps because her jaw was clenched as tight as her hands around the armrests as she was recklessly steered through the signs of combat.

When they caught up, Winter and Qrow were still fighting, both heaving exhaustedly with every move. It was a miracle that there hadn't been more collateral damage, though that might have been more because the two were simply slugging it out, rather than any consideration on their part.

In a battle of attrition, Qrow was always going to be the winner. And while he'd started out as if it were a spar, the huntsman himself had quickly succumb to the brutality of the match. Each strike he imbued with force more than finesse, and more strength than he could really afford.

Meanwhile, Winter was already fighting on borrowed time. Besieged with jetlag and lack of fuel in her stomach, she could barely hang onto her weapon. By now the saber was leading her through each blow, rubbery arms being dragged along and rattling with every swing. She was not fighting smart. It hadn't been a great idea to pick a fight to begin with, but it was almost as if _she_ hadn'tbeen the one to instigate it. Something else primal within her had lashed out, snapped at the bait presented like a starving animal- or perhaps a caged bird, being eyed by the huge, hellfire red pupils of a demon cat-

With the snap of a tree branch Winter's saber was whipped out of her hand. She felt the bottom drop out and her legs give up, her opponent's sword descending towards her neck.

But she didn't see that. Winter was not watching her defeat as it happened in slow-motion, not regretting her poor showing against the insufferable man nor even thinking about the supposed cause of her duel; her sister and all the injustices suffered were inconsequential compared to the crime against humanity.

For there, walking out between the hulls of two ships was _Him_.

It didn't matter how long it had been, didn't matter that his hunchback was draped in torn, soot-colored robes like scrim netting or that his eyes were concealed by a hat the size of a sonar dish. Winter recognized his presence as it was highlighted clearly in black against the white aircraft.

As did her sword, cutting through the air towards him like a messenger pigeon, carrying news no one wanted to hear.

***SCHLICK***

The students arriving on the scene all heard the sound as it was funneled down the narrow alley made by the ships' fuselages.

They all heard the blood-boiling roar of indignation, felt their veins turn to ice as he growled, and then crumble as he chuckled with the force of two glaciers colliding.

Oh, what a _wonderful_ day this was turning out to be.

"**My, my, what a charmingly small world it is…" **Winter's sword was tiny in his hands, all but a toothpick that he wrenched free from the ivory bulkhead with a sound that made them cringe like a dentist's drill. That shrill noise was nothing, though, compared to his saccharine tone, the fact that he was acting as if everything were normal even as he wept blood as black as pitch. **"Ah, this reminds me of good times…" **

Actually, it reminded Jin that he still needed to retrieve _that blade _for Neo, a silly, fleeting notion that quickly dove back down beneath the murky surface of his mind. Pain bought him only a moment of clarity before his thoughts once again became as thick and black as the blood clotting on his cheek.

But the feelings lingered like an infection, an insatiable itch that begged to be _scratched_.

"…**Although, somehow it feels like a separate lifetime. Such a **_**small, **_**faraway thing… What about you… Winter, wasn't it? Do you ever think about back then?"**

Of course, there was hardly a moment when Winter _wasn't _thinking about the incident. No amount of therapy had been able to cure her post-traumatic stress or survivor's guilt. And the only effective strategy which kept her from constantly wondering what she could have done differently, was to think about what she _would _do if, against all probability, she was given a second chance.

Yet, here it was, however…

What _should _she do? Should she apologize for her prior audacity, attacking a being that was so clearly above human comprehension? Should she stand and face down a demon, regardless of her assured destruction? Or should she try to preserve human dignity, euthanize everyone there and take the pleasure away from this monster?

"**What's the matter? Aren't you going to take it?" **

Winter had been unable even to stand until he spoke, holding out the handle of her sword as if it were a rescue pole- no one else was going to come to her rescue, the Grimm's now sole eye was fixed myopically on her.

Winter stood up on her own and walked fearlessly forward, brushing past Qrow and ignoring him as he reached out to stop her.

As if! Winter was not a damsel in distress that needed to be rescued. She was a soldier, first and foremost, with death part of the job description. Even if her end was to come on this unassuming battlefield, she had long-since been prepared for it. This Grimm or any other- it made no difference.

Except…

This one bled. She never would have imagined it possible, but there he was with tarry tears dripping onto her blade and trickling down the handle. Reaching out, she took the grip in hand. She tried to pull away, but it was as if the blood had suddenly coagulated and trapped her there.

"**Well? Aren't you going to apologize?" **

Winter had actually thought about saying sorry, in one of her many dream scenarios (nightmares, insomnia-induced hallucinations). If it bled, chances were that this depraved being also had a soul squirming around in there somewhere. And if she were being truthful, Winter knew that she and Atlas had been at fault. The fact was this vile creature had protected both her and her home.

"**What about a 'thank you', a single word, at least?" **

But, being honest with herself, Winter looked up and straight into the slit where the Grimm's horrible, malevolent right eye had once been,

And she smiled.

Jin roared, drew the sword in with Winter along with it, wrapped his claws around her and _squeezed_.

She screamed.

Or, someone did, at least. Bones groaned and muscles croaked, but Winter doubted she'd waste what breath remained in her lungs for such a frivolous expression.

However, her every attempt at escape proved just as futile. The defiance was quickly leached out of her pained expression as her Aura was popped like a bag of potato chips, each glyph that she tried to spawn amounting to nothing but crumbs beneath her flailing feet. She wasn't even able to summon enough concentration for a champion with the blood being squeezed into her head until Winter thought she might pop like a mosquito.

She was nothing but an insect to him- not even good enough to be prey. This was not some autistic child that played with its pet rabbit until the day it accidentally ripped the poor creature's head off. This creature was simply doing its best to _squash _her.

"Jin! Stop!"

Weiss was not going to simply sit back and watch as her sister was disposed of like a tinfoil wrapper. She launched herself out of the chair, only to have her legs crumple underneath her and land face-first into the grass. No! She _had _to get up, keep moving forward! This was her sister at stake- her flesh and blood! But blood was rushing from her head and pooling into the unsealed wound on her chest, making her drift towards unconsciousness. "No, please…"

"Stop this right now!"

Ruby's wounds were only superficial, so she was far steadier on her feet as she catapulted herself out of her chair and placed herself in front of her partner.

"Jin! Let her go right now, or else I'll-"

"Stand back, Ruby!"

The girl might have been faster, but Qrow was unhesitant and deliberate. Unlike in his match with Winter this was to be deadly right out of the gate, his sword already unlocking into its scythe form the moment he passed his niece and her partner. He might not have cared for the Schnee, but he would go to hell and back for his kin.

He didn't even make it halfway to the demon before a tail swatted him away like a fly. The time it took the appendage to unfurl from Jin's robes probably saved Qrow from becoming a splatter on one of the many windshields looking down upon them. Instead, with a flutter of his shoulder-length cape he righted himself against the flat of a ship's hull, kicking off towards the Grimm again.

The second attempt fared no better, nor did the third. He tried hewing away at the tails as they chased him, but like cobras they struck and recoiled, never letting Qrow come any closer. At some point he became desperate, about the same time Winter began looking like a limp handkerchief in the Grimm's clutches.

"Enough!" Qrow was long-since sober by this point. But he stopped and looked back because the tone in his niece's command was as serious as death. Her voice turned pleading, looking between him and the Grimm. "Hasn't it been enough…?"

Did anyone else have to die? Did anyone have to die at all?

But Jin wasn't listening, turning the blind eye towards her pain. Likewise, the entire time he hadn't said a word and was defending himself against Qrow without changing his focus, concentrating on grinding the woman in his hands into a Winter blend.

So why hadn't he? With his godlike strength it should have been an easy task. Reading his face was almost impossible as the smattering of blood painted new lines into his mask. Like a clown, half had his lips upturned into an animalistic snarl, while the other appeared almost… remorseful?

He couldn't.

Why? It was like he was at war with himself; Jin's hands trembled as muscles fought against each other, veins leaping against his skin simply trying to flee the internal feud.

-Not that it mattered to Winter. Whoever won, she would lose long before then.

"Come on man," Rebelling against any notion of self-preservation, Jaune stepped forward. "Haven't you made your point? Can't you let her go?"

The only reason this feckless plea might have worked was the same reason his fellow students were momentarily stunned: no one had expected the cowardly captain to display such spine. All was silent, then,

"Yeah, let her go, you big bully!" Nora was the next to step up, but certainly not the last.

"Stop this madness!" Blake commanded, channeling the voice of her father into her slight frame.

"This is _**not **_cool." Yang folded her arms, trying to keep the fires at bay for as long as possible.

"If you don't stop now, there's no turning back." Ren warned, backing up his own team for all the good he thought it might do.

"…If you do, I'll never forgive you."

Even though she knew she would want to to, there would be no way Ruby could overlook this offence. In the end, she was a huntress and he a Grimm; she would follow him to the farthest reaches of Remnant if he willingly chose to go down this path.

"Please," Weiss was standing now, though unsure of how far she would have gotten without the support from her captain. Then there were her comrades- nay, her friends, and of course, the only family she really had left. Yesterday she had come so close to losing her life yet- this was so much worse! "-Please! If you need revenge, take it out on me! Whatever it is you want I'll give it to you! I'll give you anything! I'll- I'll- I'm sorry!"

"Weiss…"

It was a waste of breath, but Winter still wished she could have said more. But she had no more strength to resist, like being buried alive under an avalanche and feeling the forces of the earth compress her body and the cold seep into her bones. No one was coming to rescue her- not that she wanted it.

\- Not that she blamed them. It was more of a fight than she'd gave the first time around. But still, would no one step forward to challenge this tyrant? What was the point in life if they didn't even try? Maybe, just maybe if they all fought together-

A lone foot stepped out of line.

The singular warrior strode forward across the lawn as if it were a catwalk, straight up to the Grimm.

Then, she walked past him, the one eye continued to track her until Jin had to turn his head to look back. The growl which had been growing on his lips dissipated until it was silenced entirely, replaced by a gasp from between his fingers. In the absence of his attention, his stranglehold loosened ever so slightly and allowed Winter to breathe.

But Jin hardly cared anymore for the spent toy. His formerly dilated pupils were beginning to refocus, tracing the curvature of Pyrrha's back as she bent down to pick something up, widening as she returned to him with a different prize in hand.

"You dropped this," Holding out what remained of his hat to him.

-It was true; he'd forgotten about his disguise, discarded like his humanity by the wayside.

And, what of it?

With a free tail he smacked the offering away, enough strength there to break bones and turn the woven object back into straw.

But Pyrrha knew what she was doing. Hardly grasping at straws, she didn't blink as she offered an alternative.

"Fine, then. If that's what you want…" Another step closer to the Grimm resurrected his warning growl, and Pyrrha paused as if a spear was raised to her throat. But she did not waver, "…But I wonder, do you even remember our deal?"

He had forgotten. Not only that, but what exactly what he was doing, and what exactly he wanted to get out of this.

No more satisfaction, that was for sure. Carelessly, he tossed away the wrung-out Schnee who was then picked up by her comrades. Heedless of their own safety, they darted out across the lawn then carefully hauled Winter back to the path and placed her into Weiss's old chair. Hopefully, this would only be a temporary measure. But each of them had heard the crackle of the Schnee's spine as she was crushed, and they continued to watch the scene and listen.

They continued to worry, all eyes on Pyrrha who had essentially exchanged herself for the prisoner. Jin's one eye was also transfixed, trying to concentrate. It kept drifting out of focus- past and present blending into one.

With a blink, he found himself looking at another redhead. Rather, she was looking down on him with divine, lilac eyes from someplace he could never go. All the same, her arms were outstretched, trying to pull him up out of his misery. It was a pointless effort. All the same, there was so much love coming from her. It was so sad that it almost brought tears to his eyes- so he blinked.

Eye to eye now, but the woman- no, the girl was younger and without even the right hair color. It was a rosy pink hue like bad contrast on an old photograph- this one was an ancient memory. How did it go? He couldn't remember, and that frustrated him. The words coming from her mouth didn't help, they were silent. Or perhaps he was just deaf to them.

Either way, why couldn't she just shut up and leave him be?! Didn't she understand, _he couldn't do it_! He couldn't keep his promise- couldn't keep himself from reaching out and cutting her down. No! This wasn't what he wanted! He tried to close his eyes and spare himself that painful moment. But there was no stopping it. Worse, he couldn't keep himself from reading the name being spelled out on her lips.

"_Narut-"_

He blinked.

And there was Pyrrha, standing there with arms slightly outstretched like some kind of votive statue. How long had she been waiting there? Long enough for her stony face to weather into a somber look of concern, and for tenderness to condensate on her eyes like the morning fog. Her lips moved, _almost _silent.

"…Please, this isn't you…"

_**And just who was he?!**_

His body demanded an answer whilst his head simply begged for it all to end. It was no use, his claws lashed out of their own accord like the hands of hungry beggars, ready to tear apart the one who would dare offer him _hope_.

Just like the memory, Jin couldn't stop it.

It all happened in another blink.

Or, rather, a flash of light.

It blinded the Grimm as both his eyes had opened wide beyond his control. His commands to _stop _fell like unpicked fruit in his head, only to be covered by a brilliant white field.

Pyrrha was silent as fresh-fallen snow even as the claws fell towards her. Surprised, perhaps, but not that her death would come from his hands.

It probably was because at the last possible second, she saw Jaune lunging at her, throwing himself in front of the blow. He had come from Jin's blind spot, and thus before he had time to process the blonde's foolish, moronic, _irrational _act of self-sacrifice, something… irrational happened.

There was a flash of light.

Eventually it dimmed like the end of the play, and a curtain seemed to lift from Jin's eye. He could once again blink and still be in the present, still be in control and not watch himself act out as if he were part of the audience. With time moving linearly again, he looked around to see what happened.

Both huntsman and huntress stood- rather, sat in disbelief, having been blown over from the gust of wind that had accompanied the blow. In all honesty, it wasn't that surprising that the Grimm had tried to kill them. The question was, how were they alive? Apart from the divine, there was nothing but the sun shining overhead that could have gotten in the way.

Also, there was a gaping trench which started from Jaune's sneakers and ran all the way down the line of aircraft. A few of the plane's nose cones had been trimmed off and lay there on the ground like the busted point of a pencil.

For a few seconds, a pin could have dropped.

At least, until Jaune realized he was bleeding.

"Gaaah!"

A long gash had opened along his arm, parallel to the trench at his feet. It was also correspondingly deep, peeling back layers of cloth, skin and muscle to expose bone like a buried pipe underneath. The pain was real, and so apparently was what saved them.

Reality rushed back all at once for Jin, Jaune's shout acting like a starter pistol for his thoughts which stampeded through his head all at once.

For once… he just couldn't handle it. He was overwhelmed.

"Hey, wait!"

But Pyrrha's cries were unable to catch up as Jin leapt atop the aircraft, darting from wing to wing like a canopy of branches as the shortest route back home.

All that was left were the torn remains of his hat, shredded pieces of robe and a prevailing devastation. No doubt, General Ironwood would be pissed, as would Winter when she woke up.

But the elder Schnee was not asleep just yet. No, after everything that happened her heart was still pumping in relief and exhilaration, relegating her to a state of limbo as she half-sat half-lay in the chair.

Half-lidded and drunk off the sudden rush of oxygen into her bloodstream, her eyes drifted towards where her weapon lay abandoned across the lawn. It almost seemed to float in her sleepy stare, as if the blades of grass were but hundreds of tiny hands eager to present the sword to her.

Granted, she might have been hallucinating. But Winter would also _swear _that she saw the spots of blood on the metal start to separate. As the black dried up and crumbled, disappearing into the atmosphere like all other Grimm, the red part dripped into the blood groove that ran the length of her blade. Their two paths, never to cross again.

Then Winter's eyes crossed, and she passed out.

* * *

"**Cross your fingers."**

This was all the warning the other Tailed-Beasts got before Matatabi galloped at them. Trying not to cringe, they all instinctively looked away as the first paw was placed on the bottom rung. Shukaku gave a sigh of relief when he realized that there were no claws digging into his shoulder. But by that time the Two-Tail's paws were already on the next sibling, Son Goku holding as still as a mountain as Matatabi kicked off his furrowed brow and skipped right over Kokuo.

The Five-Tails was bracing his shovel-like jaw against the bluff, and so as soon as she was clear of her onlooking brethren, Matatabi found herself darting straight up a vertical face. Now she could deploy her claws without worry, though they still failed to find purchase on the strange surface. It looked like rock much in the way that linoleum looked like tile. That is to say, it felt fake.

Also, it had no friction. And so after only a half-dozen steps the Two-Tails ran out of momentum and began sliding down.

"**No!" **

She could see the top, what appeared to be sunlight sitting atop the edge like a light-blue tablecloth. It too was probably fake- but she didn't care! She was so close; she could almost reach it! If only she could get just one claw over the lip-

Like a parent discovering the door ajar, the light disappeared, and the opportunity slammed shut in her face.

Matatabi went limp and fell.

"**Saiken!" **Seeing his sister dropping without protest, Kokuo called for the only Tailed-Beast that hadn't been a part of their ladder.

"**Saiken, here!" **

He slithered underneath the cat's falling shadow, just in time for Matatabi to twist in air and land with her legs knee-deep in the slug's liquidous body. Deforming like a water balloon that failed to pop, there was a short delay before the Two-Tails was launched upwards again. She only went a short way before reaching apex, coming down awkwardly this time as the rebound twisted her up.

"**Saiken… help?" **

"**Yeah, sure," **Matatabi placated as she licked her metaphorical wounds, trying her hardest to pretend like the only thing that got messed up was her untamable fur, and it had all been part of the plan. **"Though there's a reason we picked a cat to be the runner. I always land on my feet." **

"**Yeah, well, we might not have need 'im if you hadn't **_**jinxed us!**_**"** Shukaku shouted, indignant and impatient after their fifth failed attempt. Each time he had been selected to be the bottom, and every time it felt like he was getting shorter as the weight of his brethren caused the sand in his body to fuse into chalcedony.

"**Oh, please, it's not like we even have fingers," **The cat held up her paw for emphasis, no opposable thumbs to reassure them.** "And if you weren't so pear shaped to begin with, we wouldn't have needed any luck."**

"**Hey! Who're you calling 'pear-shaped', Puss-"**

"**Enough," **Son enounced, letting Kokou slide off his shoulder.

"**Let's not start this," **Rolling out the kinks in his neck, the horse-dolphin had to admit that he was just as tired and frustrated as the rest of them. **"We tried, alright? It's better than lying about doing nothing."**

"**Speak for yourself…" **Matatabi grumbled, making like she was going to return to sleep but hanging back.

"**-And we learned a few things." **Continuing to speak as their de facto leader, Kokou looked back up to the ledge where the daylight had suddenly been pulled away like the rug from underneath them. **"Firstly: it's not pointless. Something's changing, and it won't remain night forever." **

"**Who's to say that's a good thing?" **Son Goku rarely added anything but expletives to the conversation, tending to just go along with whatever the Five-Tails brought up (and then complaining about it). That he was being so seemingly calm caused the others to listen. **"We are 'Grimm', right? Grimm like to lurk in the dark. Bring them out into the light and they become easy targets." **

"**Do you see any huntsmen here?" **Kokou asked rhetorically, cautiously as something about treading this line of thought rankled him. **"…Or shinobi, for that matter?"**

"**You said it yourself; things are changing," **Starting with Son's pessimistic attitude. Since their efforts were obviously at an end for now, the Ape turned his four tails and began to wander off into the darkness. **"I just have to ask myself, what's waiting out there for us?" **

"**Hmph, at least there'll be sand." **With another petulant swat with his single tail against the cliff, the Tanuki squatted down and began tracing out imaginary shapes in the unyielding terrane.

"**There will be whatever we want," **Optimistically, Kokuo looked up at the walls of their prison again on the off chance that dawn would just roll back in like a wave. **"We tried washing our hands of the universe, and this is where it got us. We tried running away, and the humans hunted us down. If- **_**when **_**we get out again, I think it's time to try something different." **

"**Like what?" **Suddenly interested,Matatabi stopped licking herself to ask.

The remaining beasts waited for a response as well, a bit of hope in the form of something to look forward to. But as they continued to stare at him, the Five-Tails did not look away from the blank cliff face.

"**Let me rest… and I will think on it." **

* * *

When he finally awoke, he felt rested.

This was a first in… he could scarcely remember.

How long had it been since he lay down his head? It took him several minutes just to remember all what happened before then. It could have easily been several days, weeks, months- Beacon could have turned to dust a thousand years ago and he wouldn't find it strange.

But what was strange- yet best of all- was that he hadn't dreamt.

How marvelous! He even considered dancing, after all, Jin felt like a new man- Grimm, whatever.

The one exemption being the grime that still covered him. Caked blood on that same, hateful visage had mixed with the sandman's dust to create a desert landscape on the right side of his face that he needed to wash off immediately if he was going to start this day off right.

So, he had wandered over the lake that had been left over from his fight with Kokuo, an event which he hardly felt like he participated in.

Glynda hadn't filled in the hole entirely, leaving a little bit of the crater which had started to fill with snowmelt during Vale's early Spring. At the time, he decried his home being pruned like a golf course - of course, he'd never admit to the assistant headmistress he'd used it to bathe. Had to keep up the image of a 'savage beast', after all.

However, the image which stared up at him from that unnaturally still pond was not quite the one he held when he fell asleep.

Jin had avoided mirrors for a reason- many, really. Throughout all his fights, his ugly, masked face never really changed- not for good, anyway.

This… he couldn't say for sure if it was bad yet. It was unprecedented, that was for sure. Other than that…

"**Well…"**

Adjacent from his rippling Sharingan, a single, crystal-clear blue eye stared back up at him, waiting.

"**Fuck."**

* * *

**Chapter Title: Sleep is for the Week by the Dreadnoughts on their album 'Polka Never Dies'**


	18. (I'm) Eighteen WMD

**No, not dead yet (though after this chapter, I imagine several people might want me to be). I could give you any number of reasons for the delay, but as you will see, this chapter needs none. I'm also not offering any apologies for it, either. **

**I will, however, off my thanks, to all those who read and review or even simply stop by to wile away part of your lives. Your the reason I'm able to keep putting out this bullshit. **

**That's right, it's all on you. Just please, read it SLOWLY, give it time to age. All will be explained... eventually.**

* * *

"So, let me get this straight… Weiss's been stabbed, in the chest, and this guy she barely knows decides, 'oh, hey, this is the perfect chance to practice my mouth to mouth?"

Ren grunted noncommittally, trying to ignore his captain's constant complaints like the branches which kept swatting him in the face. Both proved futile and he screwed his eyes shut as another one lashing him across the nose.

"So, what, someone gets shot in the head, would this guy just give CPR to them too?!" Jaune failed to notice his teammates' aggravation the same way he overlooked the overgrown forestry snagging at his flailing arms and snagging at his hoodie. "I mean, where does a guy like that get off?!"

"I dunno, sounds about right to me," Nora was the only one seemingly content with the situation slogging its way through the wildly wooded path. There was a swagger in her step as she followed her team through the tall grass, her place as the shortest member letting her see beneath Jaune's indignation to the underlying problem. "…Depends on how hotthe guy was whether _she_ got off too. Right, Pyrrha?"

"Huh?" However, the champion was more focused on the birds' gossip than the girl's, their songs oddly bright and cheery despite the sound of humans crashing through the underbrush being enough to wake the dead, and the dense canopy making the trail as dark as a crypt. But then at last a light seemed to go on, and Pyrrha's cheeks blossomed red. "-Oh! Well, I-I don't know… never really thought about…those kinds of…"

"Gah! What the hell, why do I have to be stuck on a team with Clueless and Sexless?!" There were several cringes at this accusation, a ruffling of feathers as the birds took offence to Nora's shout and took flight. "Come on, Ren, help a sister out here!"

Sparing a glance back at his partner rewarded Ren with another low-hanging twig smacking across his neck. Already less than eager to get involved, the tall teen excused himself with a hand rubbing the new welt and went back to concentrating on where his head was at.

"Awe, admit it, girl," Taking her friend's cold shoulder in stride, Nora skipped ahead and elbowed her redheaded teammate in the side to get her attention. "Don't 'cha ever think about what kind of huntsmen hotties 're out there? Nothin' wrong with looking you know. And hey, might not be Weiss's style, but I heard from Yang that Sun guy's _seriously _chiseled."

Turning the other cheek didn't hide Pyrrha's blush, but it did make her notice a familiar mark as she passed by.

Reaching out, she traced the groove she had chiseled in the tree trunk months ago and noted with a less-than pleased purse of her lips that someone had added to it. Now, instead of being a trail of breadcrumbs to guide them back to Beacon, the arrow's barbs pointed deeper into the forest.

"I mean, Jaune's a nice guy and he's improved _a lot_, but you can't seriously tell me that you're into… _that_." With a subtle (for Nora) fleer towards their leader, the short huntress directed Pyrrha's attention to where Jaune was fighting (and seemingly losing) to a rather large spiderweb which had stretched across the trail. "…I think I'd be less surprised if you told me you were into _me_."

This offhand remark succeeded in taking Pyrrha's mind off the mark on the tree. Although, she could scarce conjure up a response, sputtering as if she was the one with spider's silk coating her tongue.

"No, no, no!" Pyrrha waved her hands furiously between them to clear the air, attracting the attention of their male teammates. The otherwise fearless huntress then grabbed Nora, hiding the two of them behind her shield and whispering harshly, "It's not like that at all!"

"I don't know…" Leaning in perhaps more than necessary, the boisterous (and dangerously bored) huntress decided to tease her strait-laced teammate a little bit by "I'm always _down_ for a little _adventure_."

Like Ren, Nora found regret in her words as Pyrrha was all but taken down by her scandalous suggestion, her dead weight flopping on top of her.

"Gah! Come on, Pyr, I was only joking! Pull yourself together!" Despite being strong enough to wield her massive hammer, the smaller huntress found herself being smothered by the champion as if she were some kind of colossal, slumbering cat. "Man! You're heavy!"

"Sorry…"

Not even bothering to deny the weight which was at least half her weapons and accoutrement, Pyrrha picked herself off her comrade and was in the process of recomposing herself when she heard Nora chuckle.

"Ya know, I can't remember the last time you said that."

Thinking on it, neither could Pyrrha. When exactly had she weaned herself of that apologetic habit? And furthermore, what exactly did it mean?

However, finding this answer was akin to Nora trying to suss what was going on in her friend's head based solely on her troubled expression. In other words, futile.

They'd have better luck figuring out what lurked in the bushes, based on the fact they had suddenly gone silent.

"What do you think they're talking about back there?" While focused on the fleeting glimpses of red and orange, Jaune missed the dark look Ren shot back at him. "…I think they were laughing at me."

"Since when do you care what other people think?" Mid-swing Ren realized how harsh the question sounded, like a rock in a lawnmower causing him to wince. "Look, Jaune, we're your teammates. Need I remind you that we're about to see someone who absolutely _loathes _your existence and has vowed to eradicate it if you ever so much as set a foot in this forest again?" The tall boy took another whack at the thicket which fought against his pistols' twin bayonets like barbed wire.

"Why do you think I'm trying to distract myself?"

Managing to avoid looking at anything in particular, Jaune also stopped himself from rubbing the scarlet mark on his left arm. The wound was still tender, as was the Pavlovian pain of the nurse's scolding whenever he touched it.

"You know," Ren sighed, rubbing his own arm in empathetic soreness. "You didn't actually have to-"

"_Don't _say that I didn't have to come."

Pausing in his bushwhacking, Ren glanced back at his captain to see him looking worse than when they'd brought him to the infirmary: a grim countenance and shaking like a leaf- no, more like a baby rattlesnake, scared out of its mind and ready to invest it all in one bite.

"Okay," Ren said breezily, blowing a strand of seaweed hair out of his face before gesturing limply to the labyrinthine thicket. "In that case… you want to take over?"

"Oh, uh, sure." Making his way up to Ren, Jaune began using his sword like a machete against the tenacious plant life which had consumed the trail. It didn't take long for the hard work to consume him. "Man! Has it seriously been that long? I don't remember the trail being this thick even the first time."

"It seems to be good training for your swing, though," Pyrrha noted, returning Ren's nod as she and Nora rejoined the group. "Perhaps we should come down here every weekend?"

Just as it was said, though, Jaune missed and nearly fell into a particularly nasty briar patch. His left arm shot out on instinct, posting itself up to the elbow into the pile of brambles, saving him from going in face-first.

"Gah-!"

But this quick catch saved him little face and spared him no pain. The thorns tickling his wounded arm didn't hurt as much as knowing that his team saw him make a fool of himself yet again. Eyes and jaw clenched, he didn't need to see the apology begin to form in his partner's mouth to know it was coming.

"Oh, Jaune! I didn't mean- I'm sor-"

"_It's fine_."

Hauling himself up with the hilt of his sword, Jaune went back to aggressively blazing a trail. Each swing was now imbued with a certain violent determination which was quickly blunted to mere annoyance by the thick foliage. Soon, even this battle of attrition wasn't enough to distract him.

"Why are we even here to begin with?" Losing track of where he was going in the same way, Jaune found his sword stuck in a tree that had obviously been there a longer time than they had. Wrenching it free with some effort, he began carving a new path around the obstacle. "Doesn't _He _have a scroll now or whatever? Why can't Ozpin tell him about the mission himself?"

"He tried, but Jin's not responding."

"Because it's us he wants to talk to." Although, Pyrrha knew in truth that she was talking mostly to, and about, herself.

"Having us here puts Him at an advantage," With patience steadily being recharged, Ren explained the situation for his captain. "He can ask things he'd be reluctant to bring to Ozpin."

"So, it's not really _us _he wants to talk to," Jaune stated, short and sharp as he cut.

"No." The quiet boy admitted with another long-suffering sigh, filling in for a lack of breeze.

No one noticed the forest's lack of comment, oddly silent on the matter.

Though perhaps they were all subconsciously aware of it; Jaune's progress slowing to a crawl as his motivation was seized like an engine without oil. Dislodging the sword from a tangle of vines yet again, he wiped another sheet of sweat off his brown and leaned heavily on his weapon.

"I _really _don't remember it being this far… aren't we there yet?"

Finding themselves in yet another thicket, the group looked around for any familiar signs between the new growth. Pyrrha noted that she hadn't seen any of her self-made marks in a while. And the fact that they hadn't seen the Grimm yet, either, was itself unusual; the forest oddly quiet when devoid of his stale death-threats.

Around them was life, fresh and primordial, plants so thick they were like the painted backdrop of a stage. It was such that for just a moment, the group of four felt as if they had taken a wrong turn somewhere and stumbled into a different story entirely.

"**Ah, but you must always remember that no matter where you go…" **the familiar, miserable narrator weighed in on their reality, **"… there you are." **

There he was, at last, lounging around as if he'd been waiting a century with tails like a fossilized waterfall dripping off the tree branch above them.

And there they were: finally realizing that it was the same branch and the same clearing were they always met, now somehow so choked with vegetation to become unrecognizable. Somehow, Jin seemed unrecognizable, framed in flora that made him look almost like a still-life painting.

And despite the number of times they'd come to this exact impasse, they were again choked for conversation.

Though as usual, Pyrrha was the first to shrug off this surprise and step forward to confront the Grimm.

"You have a mission with us,"

-But the lines got crossed again, her words coming from Jaune's mouth. The captain drew everyone's attention as he coughed, not used to the taste of dialog with the demon.

"Grimm eradication out past Mountain Glenn, Ozpin says you already know the details…"

"**Hmm, is that so? Strange, seeing as I never usually bother with such trivialities," **Looking down upon Jaune as equally insignificant, **"Yet, I **_**distinctly **_**remember making it clear that you in particular are not welcome here, boy." **

"Y-yeah? Well… tough shit."

_Now _they noticed the woods' silence, or perhaps only when it was broken again by the Grimm's eyes snapping open. Both eyes wide, their message clear and unblemished despite the spiderweb of cracks stretching from canthus to canthus: nothing had changed.

"You said I annoy you, right?"

For the longest time, Jaune annoyed himself: his cowardice, his fatuousness, his weakness- but most of all, his inability to _change _any of it. Discovering his Semblance made all the difference.

"**You **_**piss me **_**off." **

No, he was not emboldened by his newfound strength, even now scared out of his mind knowing that the godly Grimm could still tear through his hard-light constructs with a single claw. But Jaune was tired of living like this. They said it was better to die on one's feet than to live on one's knees, however…

"… it's better than being boring…"

He was not a hero. Not like his partner. Was he envious of her strength? Perhaps. No- definitely. Also, her poise, her personality, her power- he lived in the shadow of her perfection. Still, his own life- still without purpose- it was worth something…

"… right?"

"**Heh," **Coming to life, Jin barked a laugh before slipping off the tree branch and landing quietly in front of them. He cat-stretched, arching his back and letting his tails flower up towards the canopy, then inverted this pose so that he stood at his full, intimidating height over Jaune. **"…Sure, why not?" **

"That's… it?"

"**Of course. After all, why should I let a whelp like you spoil a perfectly pleasant day?" **Neither could Jaune could stop him from reaching out and ruffling his blond mop as one would a child, the claws against his scalp more uncomfortable than they'd been against his arm. **"Hell, I'm willing to admit we might even have something in common- two legs, two arms, eyes for an eye and all that. Although, seeing how we are more than the sum of our parts, I've concluded that you're simply **_**not worth it.**_**" **

Jaune was wrong- this was it, by far the worst thing the Grimm could have done to him, turning his back on the boy entirely in favor of his teammates. No longer treating Jaune like an irritation, he simply… wasn't there.

"**So, I can guess that your presence means that old Oz's not too upset. But do tell, I am eager to hear how the good General reacted to our last playdate." **

"From what I understand, he seems to be coping." On the surface Ren himself was doing well, but below that understatement he was still disturbed by the Grimm's new attitude. "The yelling from Ozpin's office didn't last much after the first day. Although, maybe the General's gotten bored of fighting a losing argument. That said, there have been no bounties posted. Not that they could have any hope of harming- let alone finding you unless they leveled the entire forest, and I assume Glynda would have a thing or two to say about that. Although… I heard it was Lt. Schnee who assumed most of the blame for the incident. Her word was no doubt the most helpful in persuading the General."

"**Oh?" **With Jaune still in his peripheries, there was nowhere else for Jin to turn to feign disinterest. **"I wonder why she did that."**

"I can't say," Ren shrugged, even though he was mildly interested in her motivations himself, "Weiss only told me that her sister even vouched for you with RWBY, for what it's worth."

"**-To me, very little,"** Nothing but a thorn in his paw which he stretched and flexed menacingly at the messenger. **"And if I had wanted to know, **_**I would have asked**_**." **

Ren was perfectly fine not telling more, washing his hands clean of the matter and holding them up chest-height as he backed away.

Likewise, Jin's approval mattered very little to the stoic teen. They weren't friends- the Grimm didn't have friends, hardly anyone else who would willingly talk to him without being motivated by threats. And Jin was quickly burning through even these, soon to be alone on his social iceberg.

If it was anyone else, Ren would have felt pity. But something told him this sentiment wouldn't be appreciated by Jin.

The Grimm himself appeared to appreciate his situation after a few tense seconds. Disgruntled, Jin got up and paced around on legs like the pistons of a steam train before parking himself in front of the teens and blowing a deep, whistling sigh.

"**What happened the other day… for what it's worth I… I really hadn't meant for it to turn out like that." **

At last, they arrived at the reason they had been called out there. They didn't recognize it for what it was at first, camouflaged like all the other familiar things by Jin's murky intentions.

"**-Make no mistake, this isn't an apology." **

No, they hadn't thought it was. An after-action report, a receipt for damages, an explanation for the reckoning visited upon them by an angry god- but not contrition, no, never from this vindictive creature.

However, he was owning up to behaving like a lowly beast.

"**I should have had more control over my actions." **

And _that _was what he couldn't tolerate. Perfectly fine to _act_ beastly so long as it was on his terms. But Good and Evil didn't exist without choice, and he'd surrendered that control. This was the only way to take it back- to his chagrin- humbling himself in front of these humans and admitting that he'd made a mistake.

How it must have rankled him! It was so humiliating that he had to call them out here alone, because he hadn't the heart to do it in front of everyone- couldn't do it for _anyone _else.

For who would listen to his halfhearted confession beside one, foolish redhead and her team? Even then, why should they _care_?

In all honesty, it was… pathetic, a moment of weakness Pyrrha and the others should have seized if they were not so stunned by its abruptness.

"**It won't happen again," **Jin's guarantee was backed up by an angry growl as if he could hear their silent judgments of him. He was holding himself back, claws kneading and palms leaking that curious combination of red and black like a fine spirit being uncasked after many centuries.

"…**I promise," **

What… would make them believe this? As a rule, this Grimm didn't make promises. That he was shifting up the game now shouldn't inspire confidence and yet-

"**From here on out, my actions are my own."**

It was what he wanted. And they could trust that Jin would _always _get what he wanted.

"…Tell you what," Though not about to leave empty-handed, Nora charged headfirst into the unknown with her smile as a flashlight, "Throw in a free trip back to Beacon, and you got yourself a deal!"

The discomfort felt by her three teammates quickly descended into outright foreboding as Jin grinned, stood up only to take a knee and clench his knuckles over where one would expect a heart to be. The mockery of a salute left a black and red streak across his armored ribcage.

"**As you wish…" **

* * *

From there everything happened rather quickly, if not to say exactly smooth.

Riding a young colt bareback was doubtlessly better than being an unwilling passenger harnessed in the Grimm's tails, especially with the ginger-haired adrenaline demon constantly egging him to go faster. From the outset they'd busted out of the canopy and through the sound barrier, the Grimm's maniacal laughter and Jaune's girly cries trailing behind.

Thankfully, Beacon wasn't far away as the crow flies. And compared to their morning schlep they were indeed flying, skipping off the treetops and over the heads of blissfully unaware students on their beeline out of the forest. For huntsmen hopefuls they were rather unobservant, dismissing the black streak crossing the horizon as merely a bird flying in front of the sun.

As it was, Ozpin himself didn't look up from his paperwork until the shadow crossed his desk, sitting up right before Grimm and students crashed through his window.

"Jin," Only the tiniest hint of alarm made Ozpin's voice seem anything out of the ordinary. "Is there a reason you entered my office through the window?"

"**Yeah," **Depositing the huntsmen hopefuls onto the carpet, two out of four hugged the green shag as the closest thing to ground in their lives.** "I forgot how fun it was not using the door."**

Ozpin stared at the Grimm as if for a moment he had forgotten just what a monster he had raised, before he raised an eyebrow in condemnation of his surrogate child.

"You gave Ironwood your word… right before you take three of his ships and an officer out of commission- not to mention injuring one of my own students- then drop off the face of Remnant yourself without a word, only to reappear in front of me in _undisguised _contempt of me and my office. And you expect- what, that I'll just allow you to take these four and be on your merry way?"

"**Bags are already packed," **Folding away two of his tails, he gestured with the remaining four at the students as if they were naught but mildly burdensome luggage.** "I'm ready to go."**

Perhaps they expected the headmaster to go ballistic on Jin, but this would have been less characteristic- if not to say more unexpected- than the unburdened smile which sprouted instead.

"Try not to accidentally drop any of them."

"**Says the man who launched these same students off a cliff." **It was when said students were remembering this earlier betrayal that an evil grin blossomed on the Grimm's face. **"Right, 'accidentally'."**

While JNPR was busy processing their headmaster's most recent act of turncoat, Jin turned and once again scooped them up in his tails before telling them in a mocking parody of his earlier warning:

"**Let's hope you have a better landing strategy this time." **

"Hey!- wait, we don't even have our gear-"

But the malicious Man-Grimm was already poised at the window, claws clutching either side of the frame like the yoke of a slingshot.

"**Just think of it as a… survival exercise." **

"A wha-aaaaAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Before anyone else could delay further, the five blasted away in a blizzard of glass. And once Jaune's screams of dismay and Nora's hysterical giggles had faded, Ozpin allowed the self-assured smile to drop as he fell back into his chair.

There was a sound like a sigh and then a polite ding as the elevator door opened unto his office.

"Ozpin, I have compiled the foreign competitors' profiles for screen-" Glynda cut off as her heel crunched on a piece of glass, looking up to see the sorry state of her boss's chamber. The man himself was staring out the pane-less window with another one of his painfully doubting expressions on his face. "Sir?"

"Glynda… tell team RWBY they have the go-ahead."

"But Ozpin, Qrow says that Ironwood is already mobilizing behind our backs, it's too big a gamble-"

"-Teaching is a gamble," More concerning seemed to be where he would find a cheap supplier for window glass, assuming this would be a regular occurrence. "Raising children is a gamble, hoping that your investment isn't wasted."

Although, that was by far the most optimistic of worries.

"… In for a penny, in for a pound."

* * *

"**Ie…" **

A sound of pleasure mimicking the squeals of Boarbatusks, fangs bared in hunger like the woefully baying Beowolves who huddled around their packmates.

"**Ta…"**

A farewell to manners as a bead of saliva dripped down his jaw.

"**De…" **

The beginning of the end for this horde of Grimm who seemed to already know their fate even as they prepared to fight tooth and nail for whatever parody of life the possessed. It was almost sad, in a way, admitting there was no hope for them even if they were to survive the coming carnage.

"**Ki…" **

They could feel the Man-Grimm's Aura- or whatever passed for it- start to swell, arcing from the tips of his tails to the sweat on their skin. It was an odd sensation, simultaneously invigorating and intimidating, like a cheeseburger with donuts for buns. No doubt it was driving the lesser Grimm mad as they were unable to reconcile the contradiction, forced to simper in hunger and humility.

"**Ma-su!" ***

To Jin it was an orgy of food. To them, it was a massacre.

-Or was it genocide? Fratricide? Cannibalism? About all team JNPR could do as they stood on the sidelines was contemplate the semantics of the slaughter, because trying to make any real sense of it was an exercise in futility.

Although, doing nothing felt equally superfluous. Wasn't this supposed to be _their_ mission? It felt more like exercising a dog at a park, not even able to take it for a walk without fear of it and pulling them off their feet and dragging them through the dirt.

Or maybe… they were the pets, and just waiting for Jin to throw them a bone.

"I'm boooooored."

And this was even more bone-chilling than the gargled screams in the background (the regular Grimm's screams oddly human sounding - strangely similar to Jaune's who shivered and tried to find comfort in the fact it was not him).

"Hey, Ren, I was thinking-"

But her partner was too. Paying attention, the lazy 'o's were like the wail of an alarm for the young man who hastily grabbed his nearest teammate and fled into the bushes, muttering an excuse about food and shelter for the night. Ren hoped Pyrrha would excuse him for leaving her behind, but he figured that if anyone could survive Nora's machinations, it was her.

He might have been a tad optimistic.

"So, Pyrrha…" Fully aware of her friend's departure, Nora donned a mischievous smile and scooted closer to her remaining comrade. "Um, Pyrrha?"

As attention-grabbing as the huntress was, however, Pyrrha's was entirely focused on details, trying to make sense of the violent madness in front of her. The champion honestly liked fighting, and for the same reason; because a person's truth always came out in those fleeting moments.

Maybe she had just gained an appreciation for the nuance, but to her, Jin's style was no longer what could be deemed 'beastly'. Rough, yes; instinctual, most certainly. But those instincts were being drawn two different ways, the roughness due to this oscillation of extremes. One strike was as pinpoint as a sniper's bullet, the next moment tearing through this conception along with the neck of a Goliath with his teeth.

Ripping out the elephantine Grimm's esophagus and spine with one jerk of his head, Jin dropped through the black brine of its dissolving body before jamming a claw up into the gullet of a saber-tooth cat that was foolishly trying to pounce on where he was formerly. He tossed the feline up and over at two Beowolves who were simply waiting on their haunches for an opportunity- one which would now never come as all three exploded into a black fog.

From there he sidestepped the clutch of feathered arrows fired from a Nevermore, leaping up and grabbing the crow-like Grimm by the shoulder blades and tearing it messily in two. Before both halves could dissolve, Jin took the ironlike wings in hand and used them as swords against a King Taiju that was attempting to swallow him whole. He laughed delightedly while slicing the twin snakes into pieces as thin as carpaccio, taking the last brace of feathers between his fingers like throwing knives and hurling them into the eyes of a charging Boarbatsuk that was so large it probably couldn't have fit in Beacon's main hall. Jin then halted the beast simply by grabbing onto its tusks and headbutting it out of existence, the crunch as skulls collided sounding more like a wrecking ball against concrete.

The concrete jungle of Mountain Glen was the perfect place for Jin to cut loose, where buildings could fall like trees and no one would hear. Another derelict skyscraper collapsed in on itself as the Man-Grimm darted off in pursuit of a pride of Smilodon that were having second thoughts.

For a second time, Nora popped back up on Pyrrha's radar- right in her face.

"Pyrrha!"

It took all the control the Champion had not to attack her friend, the lack of Grimm features barely registering as she raised her weapons.

"What is it, Nora?" Although, she was starting to get a little short with the petite woman- which in itself was unusual. She should be used to Nora's behavior by then, though perhaps it was Jin's usual ability to get under her skin making her antsy. "We really should be following him to make sure he doesn't get too out of hand."

"I'm worried about you."

There was another explosion in the background, a tremor through her feet and a rising cloud of dust that Pyrrha tried to blink out of her eyes.

"I'm sorry- _why?_"

Even as she lowered herself off the hilt of her giant Warhammer Nora didn't back down and stared up at Pyrrha with a mix of insistence and anxiety.

"All you've been doing lately is training, whether it's with us or RWBY," Normally it wasn't a problem; but even Jaune didn't spend as much time with their sister team outside of Weiss's almost daily sessions. "What happened to going out to eat? Seeing a movie? Video-game tournaments?"

Pyrrha couldn't say it, but recently such things had taken on different connotations in her mind. They felt frivolous, unsatisfying- dare she say tawdry? To her, each day felt too short. There were all these things expected of her, things which she couldn't differentiate from her own burdens.

"What happened to being friends?"

She did feel bad about this. But at the same time, Pyrrha didn't know what to say.

"Of course we're still friends," Whether it was true, the response felt as forced as her T.V. interviews.

"Then… can I tell you something?" Nora asked tentatively- that the exuberant Valkyrie could be so shy proved that Pyrrha didn't know her own team, either. "…it wasn't worth it."

Having no idea what she was referring to, and yet it struck Pyrrha as solidly as the other huntress's hammer which Nora was now leaning on like a pogo stick, rocking back and forth pensively.

"What was?"

"I thought… _we _thought that killing the Four-Tails would be enough to make us happy- but it wasn't. Now it's gone, both the Grimm and the feeling of revenge- it's just empty!" The shells of buildings staring back at them trembled like Nora's bottom lip while the Grimm went to town, beginning to crumble and fall as she watched on. "I'm sorry, Pyrrha. I'm so sorry that you had to- you shouldn't have to suffer for it! I don't want you giving up your own happiness for-"

"I didn't." Pyrrha shook her head with a small smile that, the longer one looked, was more tragic than happy.

After all, it was impossible to give up something she never had in the first place.

She didn't give Nora enough credit, for the girl clearly understood this private thought and sought to dispute it the only way she knew how. Suddenly Pyrrha found her arms and tongue tied as the smaller girl wrapped herself around her waist. The embrace was so tight that between pained breaths she had flashes where it felt like she was in the Grimm's clutches again.

"Please, let us help," Pyrrha felt the request reverberate through her gut, and tried to quell the ginger-haired woman with a pat on the head. "Whatever we can do, Ren and I want to make this right again."

"S-sure thing," The chuckle came along with a wheezing cough, "Just-um, could you loosen up a bit, Nora?"

Like a tourniquet, the hug seemed to tighten slightly before she finally released.

"Thanks, Pyrrha."

Not feeling like she deserved it, Pyrrha pursed her lips and struggled not to let the apology slip.

"So, uh, you and Ren…" In a move that felt like throwing sand in the eyes, Pyrrha shifted her discomfort towards the only opening she saw.

Though to her shock and dismay, Nora once again appeared to know both herself and even Pyrrha better than she, countering with an unashamed smile.

"Why not?" Indeed. When all other considerations were stripped away, thoughts of revenge and propriety left by the wayside, love became as pure a decision as battle.

"…Speaking of, we really need to get you laid."

After this blow, not saying anything suddenly became a whole lot easier, and Pyrrha felt like her lungs were again being crushed by Nora oppressive personality.

However, in a constant struggle to survive, there was seldom time for embarrassment.

"-Nora, look out!"

That her teammate's hands were already around her waist turned out to be a good thing as Pyrrha flung the two of them backwards, barely evading the claw which buried itself into the asphalt under their feet. The attack had come so fast that it turned some of the road back into tar, flinging the scalding, waxen shrapnel at the two huntresses where it splattered onto Pyrrha's shield.

Shifting from defense to attack, she flipped _Akoúo_ to the side and already had her rifle leveled with finger on the trigger when she saw what was in her sights and froze.

"Jin… what the hell?!"

"**Just trying to keep you on your toes,"** Hopping onto the balls of his feet, the Grimm jerked his fist out of the ground and flexed away the remnants of the road like it was nothing more than a mud bath. **"All kinds of dangerous creatures out here… can't have you getting too comfortable." **

"You dick! You said that you were going to be in control!" Indignant though she was, Nora herself was not ignorant enough to trust the Grimm any further than she could throw him.

"**Psh. If I wanted it, you'd all be dead a thousand times over by now." **He did have a point, underscoring it by carefully examining under every fingernail to see if he scored any flesh. **"I'd say that I am **_**perfectly **_**in control."**

The bodies of both Jaune and Ren were tossed out of the forest, landing with just the right amount of force that they rolled up next to their teammates. Twin groans confirmed the Grimm's affirmation of life, and the two looked up in confusion to see a copy of Jin staring down at them. This was only the second time that any of them had seen his clones- that they knew of, a fact that should have scared them had they the time to think about such things.

"**I seem to recall someone saying that they were bored…" **With equal parts despair and disparagement, her three teammates turned their heads towards a sheepish Nora. **"Well, now I am too." **

"Wait, you finished off _all _the Grimm in the area?" Jaune blanched, sounding like the parent of a teenager who couldn't believe they had finished off all the fresh groceries despite paying the bill.

"**Nah, not **_**all **_**of them." **Jin waved him off with a claw the was still stained with the shadow his fellow monsters. **"I left a few for midnight snacks. But I did promise you that this would be a survival exercise, remember? Won't be much of one if we have to go back early, nor if you didn't have **_**some **_**challenge…" **

"I believe you have been away from humans for too long," Testing that he could still stand, Ren confirmed that his sarcasm wasn't also damaged by the rough handling. "Coexisting with you is challenge enough. You might have eaten, but _we _still need food, not to mention fresh water that's not contaminated by being stagnant for decades, shelter, and it's going to get cold so a fire might be nice-"

"**Sure, sure, sure, you should have plenty of time for that." **His clawed wave morphed into a satire of Ren's mouth, flapping aloofly as the Grimm was wont to do with his own gums. Jin was acting every bit as sardonic as when they had first met- a great improvement over last time, but one which failed to instill any confidence in them.

"What's the catch?"

"**Food's a good motivator, isn't it?" **Licking his lips, he looked down on the four of them as if they were his next course. **"For me, the Grimm were just an appetizer. But you're right, the four of you need food to survive, so… how about, whichever one of you fails to land a hit on me, that one isn't eating tonight."**

The only thing that would make them doubt Jin's seriousness was that he was almost treating them like real students, a semblance of fairness behind his wanton cruelty.

"**What are you waiting for? Clock's 'a tickin'. Oh, and since it has been so long, I'll remind you that if you want to land a hit, you better come at me with-"**

"Die motherfucker, die!"

Sounding like a Grimm-sized raspberry, Nora unloaded all six cylinders of her grenade launcher in quick succession at Jin whose look of bewilderment was quickly covered behind a wall of explosions.

"Did…?" The wisps of smoke and heat from her gun barrel were like smelling salts to the huntress as she stared wide-eyed through them at the smoldering cloud where the Grimm had once stood. "Did I actually hit him?"

"**Close, but no," **His voice was too close for comfort- she hadn't reloaded and wouldn't even be able to shift _Magnahilde _into its Warhammer form with how he was practically breathing down her neck. **"Love the enthusiasm, though." **

Despite his teasing tone, Jin was deathly serious, and it was only by dint of her partner coming to the rescue that Nora left with her head. Ren whisked her away just as Jin's claws came whizzing above them like a helicopter blade. The huntress reloaded as they moved, so that by the time she was set down the avenging Valkyrie was already laying down a new field of fire.

"**Ha, ha! Good, good!" **The Grimm brayed, kicked back like a horse and catching Jaune's shield. The huntsman and his defense were separated, Jaune rolling farther away from his team as his shield landed somewhere in the bushes. But Jin couldn't spare an eye to see where, pulled into a dance with Pyrrha's spear as she led him further afield. **"Remember now, no holding back!" **

Ren and Nora both unloaded their guns at him, the staccato of pistol caliber and steady beat of grenades were soon joined by precise rifle fire from Pyrrha as she distanced herself and started taking pot shots at the Grimm's shadow. There was a low ring like a triangle as their guns ran dry, then an intermission that was too brief to reload before the next movement.

Silent out in the woods, the lesser Grimm waited for the chance at the spotlight.

But as the measures slurred into minutes and minutes into hours, the sorry creatures began to lose interest. Tired of waiting on their laurels, they began to amble off and took their red-eyed leers with them.

Two by two their eyes winked out like Christmas lights until there remained only a single pair to watch over the bloodless scuffle outside Mountain Glenn.

And then the sun, red in the sky, set behind the mountains, leaving one bloody eye to keep vigil until well after dark.

* * *

It was dark. No more Aurora, no more struggles between good and evil in the sky above- if such a thing existed in the first place.

Below, the landscape was cast in waxen light making it look even more cartoonish and unreal. Illumination came only from the moon which they hadn't seen in… how long? Enough that the craters looked like unfamiliar, evil scars on the glowing surface. The planetary satellite was one, huge eye that had seen far too much.

The sun was out as well, eclipsed in a wink with light only on the peripheries, edges of the circle fuzzy with flames trying to escape the darkness.

Smoldering blue eyes stared back at the sky in disdain.

"**You're not fooling anyone," **

No one answered, and so Matatabi replied in kind, rolling her eyes and going back to sleep, waiting for the world to wake up to realty.

"**Not anymore." **

* * *

Night had fully settled in but remained restless. From a sprint their fight had become a marathon, the redheaded warrior trying to remain light on her feet even as the darkness of every blink got longer.

"I can't tell…." Everything was blurring, even Jin's stare which had latched onto her like a fresh snakebite was coming loose as she swayed drunkenly. His two eyes doubled to four, folding back into a tryptic before she nearly fell, and the image collapsed back into one. "Are you trying to teach us a lesson here?"

"**Don't be stupid, Red," **Was he winking at her, or was that a trick of the light? **"What could I possibly have to teach you? Better teamwork- better yet, how about when to give up?"**

The rest of her team had dropped out already, consequences be damned. And even now Pyrrha considered joining them in starvation- in solitude as their survival exercise-turned duel migrated away from her team, into downtown Mountain Glenn. From inside, the city felt as empty as she did, life like breakfast gone long ago. The place might have been haunted, urging Pyrrha to give up the ghost.

"**-You can't, can you?" **Another of his annoying smirks cracked across the Grimm's face- she wished she could just crack him one and put an end to this. **"Why? Because it's so much easier being a martyr. Your own pain's nothing- just shut up, grit your teeth and bear it. Because as hard as it is carrying the weight of the world, at least it's not as bad as empathizing, seeing the suffering of others and knowing that you can't do **_**squat**_**. Even when you are fighting against impossible odds, there's no need to stop and think about **_**why**_** you sacrifice so much. The lives of others are worth so much more than your own. That's why you tolerate that useless captain of yours, isn't it? **

"**So, by all means let's keep going, rehash this age-old battle of Good and Evil like the good little meat-puppets we both are. Naught but **_**guts and teeth**_**\- all smiles and false interactions, dancing the same song over and over and… what are you doing?"**

While the Grimm was grandstanding, Pyrrha had planted her spear in the ground and taken the opportunity to rearm herself. Reaching behind her back, she pulled out a shrink-wrapped bar and proceeded to noisily unwrap it in contempt of Jin's sermon, munching on it like movie popcorn.

"I'm listening," She should have listened when Ren warned her the concoction was more for nutrition than flavor, dry and bitter, hard even to chew with let alone speak. She swallowed and the bar's wholesome ingredients dropped like a plutonium slug into the pit of her gut where a chemical reaction took place. It mixed with raw stomach acid, setting off a chain reaction that vibrated her bones and carbonated her bloodstream, culminating in a gasp like a burp that released all pressure and left her aglow. "-But I don't have to believe you, do I?"

"**Oi," **Jin's eye was twitching- or maybe it was reality itself that seemed to glitch around the right side of his face. Sometimes she saw a scar, a crack in his mask like a fracture on the ice of a frozen lake. Sometimes seeing a sliver of blue beneath the glaring red. **"That's cheating."**

"Is it?" Then again, maybe it was just her, metabolism forcing the mitochondria of every cell into overdrive, synapses popping like Ren's machine pistols giving Pyrrha a heady feeling of confidence that couldn't be good for her long-term health. "It's what you want though, right? By breaking your 'rules' I'm being selfish, like you. Or perhaps I am proving you right, forcing myself to keep going by any means necessary."

Letting the plastic wrap fall and float away on the breeze, Pyrrha picked up her spear and cradled it under her arm, the tip pointed at Jin's heart.

"-And ignoring the pain of others… Either way, you win, don't you?"

His face was so contorted in rage that it was painful to look at, as if she had stabbed him in the gut and twisted- certainly not the expression of a victor. For a moment Pyrrha considered that she had made a terrible mistake in goading him. But rather than feel scared, she felt almost… sorry.

"Unless… it was all a lie."

"Now!"

It was difficult to tell whether he'd been successfully distracted, reacting almost concurrently with Jaune's decoy shout. Caught in the middle of the street with little means of defense, Jin stomped on fractured slab of concrete, similar to how he had blocked Yang's barrage during their first 'spar'.

It was a gamble but… it was what they were hoping for.

A handful of small-caliber rounds pelted the upturned slab along with two grenades, the other four baseball-sized bombs appearing to fly too high over Jin's head.

But Nora was practically an artist with her launcher, and as soon as the Grimm noticed the shots landing behind his back, he knew something was wrong.

Electrical wires which he himself helped unearth suddenly leapt up, wrapping themselves around his legs. He looked at Pyrrha who had her eyes clamped in concentration, no doubt having imagined this moment so often that she didn't need sight to aim her polarity at him.

It was going almost unbelievably well, an unintentional bonus when a water-pipe was breached and started flooding the ground under Jin's feet. Every attempt to step out of the sand-trap had him sliding further down into the muck, at the same time the electrical conduit snaked up his legs like tree roots.

And that was before Nora decided to run her own charge through the cables, using her body as the switch to link the live wires to the severed end of the ones wrapped around the Grimm. Even neglected, the city's emergency batteries still held enough charge to light the LED streetlamps on an automatic timer, long after the streets themselves had been run barren.

But today, after the sun had set, the small crowd which had gathered there was treated to a firework display of discharge, the Grimm's bones glowing like fluorescent bulbs right before they shorted and turned out the lights once and for all.

Nora herself knew from repeated use of her Semblance (along with how her skin tingled like wintergreen mints on the tongue) that the number of amps she'd channeled hadn't been enough to put Jin down for long. But, hopefully, it had made him forget about her earlier 'missed' shots.

"**Hmm… that almost tick-"**

His ears twitched, the sound of cracking outlasting the sparks of electricity which skipped off into the night. The noise which persisted was different, more substantial- more like a crunch than a crackle. Instead of electrons connecting, this was something breaking-

"…**.Oh." **

The last concrete struts gave way on the skyscraper across the street and it came down like a flyswatter atop Jin. Team JNPR themselves were like flies, narrowly escaping being crushed but having tornado-force winds tearing at their skin and clothes. Those that managed not to be immediately blown off their feet were instead tossed into the air as the ground rebounded like a trampoline.

When they came down from their high, they looked to see what happened.

"Did… did we-?"

"DON'T!" Even after their ears stopped ringing, this was something no one wanted to hear.

Instead, they kept still and listened, the dust settling over them like too much makeup powder as each held their breath- not holding their breath that Jin was finished, just that they might be.

"This counts as a hit for all of us, right?" Jaune asked, approaching slowly, his face ghostly white as he glanced over at the flat, black spot where their adversary once stood.

"… Did he become a Grimm pancake?"

It was a hole.

A deep, black hole.

"…You think he's down there?"

-So black that they'd been unable to see it at first against the asphalt, rubble around the rim of it like salt around a margarita the only thing to set it apart. And so deep that even gathering around it they couldn't see the bottom, no glowing red eyes glaring up at them like distant stars and no disgruntled shouts spilling over the jagged lip like a burbling cauldron of acerbic remarks.

Of course, they were reluctant to get that close.

"Heellllloooooo! Jin, are you down there?!"

"Nora, I really don't think that's a good idea-"

As foolish as sticking one's hand blind into a dark crack. But this wasn't a Black Widow, and Nora wasn't the target. The tails shot right past her and wrapped around Pyrrha, dragging her down into the abyss.

"Pyrrha!"

That Jaune was first to react was by far the most surprising outcome, though she really didn't give the boy enough credit. It had been his plan, from the energy bars co-developed between their culinary expert (Ren) and their resident busybody (Ruby), to dropping a tower on Jin.

But then again, he still wasn't strong enough to do it on his own, wasn't fast enough to prevent his partner from being taken. Jaune threw himself at her but their fingers slipped past one another as Pyrrha slipped over the edge.

It would be up to the Champion to save herself, again.

She had dropped _Miló _in the surprise, luck leaving her with _Akoúo _whom she wedged between upper layers of the urban landscape. The javelin caught between a power box and an I-beam and she jerked to a halt, half devoured by the blackness. It was clear the weight on the other end wouldn't let her hold for long, and the damage taken by the cityscape left it as fragile as a wafer cookie.

Still holding for as long as possible, her arms screamed at her. Someone up above screamed down at her- her mind screamed at her as she realized that she had no choice, she couldn't outlast gravity, and she couldn't let her team risk themselves trying to save her.

Pyrrha let go.

* * *

"**Enough with this bullshit!" **

Matatabi screamed up at the twilight, the others slowly gathering around to see what the commotion was, but careful not to get too close as the cat's body glowed with blue flames like a comet.

"**Sister, what is the matter?" **More tolerant than others of his sibling's fiery spats, Son Goku approached and glanced between the Two-Tails and… whatever it was she was looking at. **"The sky's changed. Isn't that a good thing?"**

"_**Nothing's **_**changed," **She growled, pawing the earth-like linoleum which, if it were real, would have been turned to glass anyway. **"Don't you see? It's all fake- replicas like an aquarium. A zoo, a prison- call it whatever you want, it's just a cage!"**

Not all that shocking, they'd all had their existential rages against the world they woke up in. However, Matatabi's anger seemed channeled elsewhere…

"**Wait, you don't mean to say…" **Kukouo was the first to catch on- though in fact, he probably knew for a lot longer than he was willing to admit even to himself.

"**It's a seal," **Matatabi confirmed, spitting mad, embers spilling from her fangs and burning holes in their very reality, **"And who do you think holds the key? He's been here the whole time, listening, changing things just enough to keep us placated. He's been pretending to work for us, but like every other Jinchῡriki we've had before, he just wants our power. He could have let us out at any time, but now- oh, ha, ha, ha… now he's losing control." **

"**Who? Madara? -Not Naruto, surely…" **

"**Who else?" **Everyone else looked up at the sun and moon which were seemed as oppressively close as an eavesdropper. **"You at least going to show your face, Jin?" **

The moon cracked open like an egg, in between the jagged edges an Eternal Sharingan stared down at them.

* * *

Pyrrha opened her eyes- immediately sensed that she was out of Jin's grasp and rolled away, grasped at the first paramagnet which answered her Semblance's call. It wasn't her spear- a piece of rebar with one end broken to a jagged tip. It would have to do.

…But do what? Where was Jin- furthermore, where was she? Excavated out of that pitch-black pit and spit out somewhere there was light but no Grimm.

There was a growling warble from behind her. Pyrrha stood corrected.

She turned around and stood face to face with a spiderlike Grimm that was half again as large as the Deathstalker they'd taken on before they were even students- before they were even a _team_. She was alone and armed with nothing but a rusty bar.

It would make good practice.

Now that her eyes were adjusting (the Grimm's clutch of beady, red eyes like a bunch of grapes staring back at her), she could see that at least 2/3rds of its girth was a swollen abdomen which towered over both her and the arachnid itself but failed to reach the cavernous ceiling. Good. Chances were that it would be slow-

Pyrrha would admit she could be a slow learner. Her champion status was earned through hard work, painful failures- and the instincts which saved her yet again as the beast snapped at her weapon hand. Weaving around it's dripping mandibles, she jabbed her shive into one of its Satsuma-sized eyes. She tried not to feel satisfaction as the creature shrieked in agony.

Besides, there was still a whole orchard left to pluck.

-But then the glutton returned, Jin leaping over her to take the beast head-on, the claws on his feet popping out another half-dozen eyes as he used the creature's head like a steppingstone. Chiseling his claws in between the spider's abdomen and thorax, he lifted the armor plate as if it were the lid to a sarcophagus with black flesh stringing off it like cobwebs.

And to Pyrrha's continuing horror, from this new opening crawled a swarm of miniature Grimm-spiders. So many were pressed up against one another it was like a sea of shag-carpet, a wave surging from the mother's carapace and threatening to drown her. She steeled herself with the iron bar in hand but the stream avoided her like a stone in a river, all running away from Jin who was now using the piece of the other Grimm's armor the way one might use a magazine to squash bugs.

Pyrrha was conflicted, split left and right as the miniature monsters scuttled around her. They were Grimm, no doubt. But maybe their premature 'birth' meant they weren't hungry. Instead, seeking to preserve their short post-natal lives, they darted off to seek shelter in the darkness.

Something in Pyrrha felt bad about killing them- but wouldn't they just run off to become threats as large as the 'mother' later (if not Jin)?

She watched where they disappeared into cracks and holes, looking around her surroundings for the first time since the fall.

It was almost as if she'd never left the surface; skeletal buildings reached upwards towards the ceiling like stalagmites, streets running in perfect grids until they met with the sloped walls of the egg-shaped chamber and abruptly halted. Though in contrast to the construction above, everything here seemed half-complete. The buildings were never fleshed out instead of being gutted by the Grimm, and only about a third of the Dust-filament lamps installed in the roof had bulbs. They would burn for centuries without power, but never more than a shadow of what had been intended.

However, as one of the spiders scrambled between her legs, Pyrrha noticed the fresh-looking rails under her feet. They ran from the tunnel behind her to the suspiciously mint-condition locomotive parked just beyond Jin, the Grimm just now finishing taking out his aggression with the arachnid. There was scarcely enough left to vanish into dust, the armored slab the last thing to go as Jin dropped it and looked her way.

"**Now, where were we…?" **

Ironically more relaxed knowing where he was, Pyrrha got out of her defensive stance and lowered the iron bar to her side.

"Haven't you had enough?" Quickly she remembered how hedonistic he could be, adding, "Besides, we won."

"**Heh, heh, is that what you really think?" **He didn't even look down as he took a step towards her and crushed another two stragglers. **"Hmm, maybe I **_**should **_**teach you a lesson, then. Take a look, Red. No matter who you are, there's no such thing as victory, no end to the battles you have to fight." **

Where the adolescent Grimm disappeared into alleyways and cracks in the construction, Pyrrha saw other eyes staring out at them. Now at least they knew where the big ones had gone, but the older Grimm must have known better than to interfere and remained hidden.

"**Take this place. They built Mountain Glenn during a time of relative peace, but they still planned for emergencies," **His claws shimmered like milky quartz crystals as he gestured to the half-completed shelter. **"Constructed to survive the end of the world… but not eternity." **

"Nothing does," The huntress herself was quickly growing apathetic to his fearmongering- yet, couldn't help but feel slightly bad for the one who _should _fear eternity most of all. "And yes, even _heroes _fall. We do what we can, take what we can, day by day.

"And now, I take my leave. I'm done."

She was, the last of her patience and the subatomic particles in her bloodstream failing. Far from satisfied, though. Even if she had consumed as much as Jin she doubted she would be in any mood to continue. For once, the champion was through fighting.

"**-But **_**I'm **_**not!" **

Without even turning around, Pyrrha jammed her makeshift weapon into Jin's hand that was reaching out to grab her. The sharp end slid naturally between the gaps in his armor and through to the other side. But it was as dissuading as a bee sting to the Grimm who simply switched to his other limbs, four of his six tails devoted to binding and bringing her to him.

And maybe she had secretly been waiting for this, relishing the moment before his assumptions blew up in his face.

Pyrrha seemed to explode in his grip like a Bangalore Blade, razor-sharp metal expanding between his tails and scoring deep cuts before he could retract them.

Taking a step back, Jin was too surprised to be angry, staring slack-jawed at his prehensile limbs which now lay by his side, limp as wet noodles in a dark-red sauce. Two were nearly severed completely. And sure, even if they were, he would heal. But how-

Gone was the huntress's armor and her image as a Greek goddess. The scales of her cuirass had come undone, reformed into bandoliers which weaved around her like metallic snakes with a mind of their own- yet, were controlled by her Semblance much akin to the Grimm and his tails. She stood as a modern-day Gorgon, giving him a stare that would turn a lesser man to stone.

"**You've been holding back…" **Jin didn't try to contain his own uproarious laughter which rang hollow throughout the cavernous room. **"Tell me, does your team know just how far above them you are? Does the Pipsqueak even know what you had planned for the armor she designed?" **

Pyrrha could have owned up to these accusations if she'd wanted to, but she was also tired of keeping it all in.

"You've been holding back as well."

"**Of course! If I wanted to, you'd be nothing but paste-!" **

"-That's not what I'm talking about."

But he seemed to know this without her having to say more, defenses falling like the scrunched dimples of his smile and giving her an opening.

"It _was _all a lie…" Words were his true mask, and once she stopped paying attention to them it was all written there in black and white. "You promised that your actions are your own- but they're not. They're simply your attempt not to be _Them_."

"**Watch yourself Red-"**

"-You've been holding back since we first met- before, even, not allowing yourself to do what you really want. And it's not what you say it is; you _could _do it. You've proved how good you are at disappearing, vanishing from plain sight and making people think you're something you're not. You don't have to bother with all these pretenses- you could even do away with them, do away with _us_ entirely-

"-But you can't, _can you_?" Fair was fair, but she couldn't stand the cruelty of repeating his words and so forced a bitter smile. "You can't give up on people. Not even- least of all, yourself."

He could barely restrain himself; it was written on his face like it'd been on the chamber walls, clear for anyone who cared to see it. Jin looked like he wanted to bury her and ensure that this knowledge was lost forever. At this point she expected it, might not even blame him.

"That's why you'll never cross the edge. As much as you hate humanity, as much as you hate your history…

"…It's not wrong, to still have hope." At least, that's how she felt, hoping that the message would get through to his heart which was shut much as his eyes now were. "The ones who came before you failed- failed _you_, but that happens. It's a part of being human- of being alive. We learn and we pick up to start again, and… would that really be so bad? To try again?"

At some point she had started talking about herself, too, thinking about the trials which came before and the ones which would no doubt come after- if there was an after.

-But of course, there would be. The future just might not include her. Someday it wouldn't. After she was dead and gone, would there be anything to her legacy? Would any of their heroics, their sacrifices really amount to more than a few, forgotten lines like shadows on a cave wall?

"**Very well," **She looked up, having nearly forgotten he was there, **"No more holding back."**

The implications hit just before the blow, but the pain didn't register for her until after Pyrrha rebounded off the rock wall. Even in its new configuration her armor did its job, absorbing some of the trauma like rubber bands. Yet, picking herself up from the dirt, Pyrrha had to admit it did still feel like some of her smaller organs had been turned into paste.

The outcome hadn't been out of the realm of possibility. It wasn't ideal- so far from it that concurrent with the pain, Pyrrha almost didn't feel like getting back up.

But of course, she did.

And of course, Jin was waiting right there to beat her down into the ground as many times as necessary for her to learn her 'lesson'.

She already had.

Pyrrha recalled the iron bar still stuck in his hand, reached out with her Semblance and summoned the ferrous metal to her. It tore free with enough force to unbalance the Grimm, giving her enough time to bolt. Darting past, for added measure she jammed the dirtied metal into the web of Jin's foot, pinning him in place and buying herself a few more seconds to get away.

Even if she had managed to dodge his tails though, there wasn't exactly anywhere she could see to hide- Pyrrha was unable to see anything as one of his wounded tails struck her across her face, blood stinging her eyes like sweat.

As she stumbled back blindly Pyrrha threw her arms out for balance, her variable armor leaping to the instinctive command and unraveling from her body in two long strips like bandsaw blades. The razorlike ribbons flew at Jin, fluctuating chaotically as Pyrrha's desperate heartbeat. Yet he managed to evade them, diving through the coincidental apex and coming out with a swipe which met her last line of defense. Having thrown up her arms in a cross-guard just in the nick of time, Jin's claws met her gauntlets in shriek of metal.

Pyrrha cried out as the steel was torn asunder and she was cast aside by the blow, surprised more than anything as she was still fighting blind and barely managing to find her own feet as she came out of the roll. After wiping her face on her bicep, her now unobstructed eyes widened upon a metal 'I' that was rapidly getting larger as it got closer.

She jumped back, not even trying to change its trajectory, and the bus-length rail stuck ¼ of the way into the hardpacked earth where she had just been. Jin was right behind his ballista, gliding past like a professional skier. At the last second he grabbed it, plucked it out of the ground and used it to guard his back as Pyrrha recalled her bladed ribbons. They broke upon his block like streams of water, spearing into the dirt.

But she wasn't done; releasing command of her formerly hidden weapons, she used her newly freed control on the train tracks to either side. True, Pyrrha had been holding back. However, she could still only manipulate a certain number of objects at once, and guiding her armor took full concentration.

Ripping the rails out of their wooden ties and separating them from their splice plates took most of her concentration, but more strength than she rightfully ought to have by then. The tracks were heavier than she imagined; if her Semblance was a muscle it would've been herniated. But Jin wasn't caring about his wounds, and so neither would she.

He came down upon her with an overhand strike just as she managed to heave the metal beams at him. All it took was for him to angle his own piece of rail slightly to deflect her attack, then discarding his oversized tetsubō as he leapt over the veritable train-wreck.

She was expecting him to try and capture her, pin her down or otherwise subdue her. So, she was unprepared physically or mentally for the speed and relentlessness of his assault. Not giving her time to slip out of his fingers, he laced them together and came down on her with a double-hammer fist that could have been compared to the meteor scientists theorized caused a mass-extinction event.

Compared to throwing the rails, using them as an anchor while she pulled herself out of harm's way was almost too easy. Pyrrha knew she overshot as she flew all the way to the edge of the construction and nearly plowed face-first into a concrete wall. But hearing the cataclysmic explosion and feeling the debris pelt her back as she ducked into one of the hollow buildings, it was better than the alternative.

Hiding in the half-complete city wouldn't slow him down much, but Pyrrha honestly couldn't see an alternative. She was all alone after poking the figurative hornets' nest.

And perhaps it was a good thing: this was all her fault for prodding him, for pushing the wrong buttons- or maybe just plain too far. And even if her team were here, what hope would four of them have versus just the one? Maybe she could still convince Jin-

One of the rails burst through the wall, cutting her off in a haze of gypsum dust and splinters. She turned, but the same thing happened as another came to bar her way. The third she anticipated, contorting her body like a magician in the box-of-swords trick.

Except that the wall then came crashing down, the building meant to sustain a siege by Grimm and not this sudden blitzkrieg. Pyrrha rolled away from the falling chunks of drywall as Jin came bursting in like lightning, lunging after her only to be stymied by the very beams he helped install. A roar chased her out, and she could feel the building shake as the Grimm rattled the bars of his cage.

This wasn't right. He was acting like an animal- exactly what he promised not to do- no, no, he promised that all his actions would be his own, and perhaps it was they who failed to see that he was nothing more. Maybe this was why he never made promises, because he knew he couldn't keep them.

But if she wasn't right, why was he so angry?

Pyrrha stopped in the middle of the street and turned on her heel, face painted white and red with dust and righteous fury. Raising her hands to the air she looked like the archetype of divine justice, ready to call down a thunderbolt, through the earthen ceiling and smite the Evil which was just now cramming himself through the too-small doorway.

"**Ready to accept your fate, are you?" **

Looking down from the sky she could only see in her mind, she opened her eyes.

"Yes."

Jin stopped. He recognized the look on her face, the timber in her voice like the subtle, whining note at the far reaches of his hearing.

What _was _that noise? It was so familiar- not from this lifetime, but it existed in quite a few of the memories he had no choice but to hold on to. Like a flock of birds without the wingbeats, or like a brace of arrows-

"-Are you?"

In their smallest form, the individual scales of Pyrrha's armor were no bigger than the old 5 Lien coin used before the Kingdoms moved to a global economy. Coincidentally, this was roughly the size the pupils of Jin's Sharingan became as he looked up and saw the cloud of quantized, hexagonal scales raining down on him like miniature shuriken.

Even Pyrrha had to turn away as the impacts began, the metal storm kicking up untold amounts of tarry pulp and turning the street into the dark side of the moon. The sound itself was enough to deafen, like being on the wrong side of an artillery barrage. Averting her gaze, she even saw that the other Alpha-class Grimm fleeing the Apocalyptic destruction. She ought to feel some pride at that, she supposed.

Though as the iron rain abruptly cut off and the street was left eerily silent, Pyrrha knew she couldn't celebrate too early. Although she saw Jin's gory remnants splattered across half the street, the Grimm's corpse looking like it had been chewed on by a massive dog, she couldn't bring herself to feel anything.

Not even surprise when it disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"A clone-"

"**No,"** Something grabbed her around the neck, hard enough to choke but not enough to break it. **"Kawarimi, substitution, one of the oldest tricks in the book." **

She'd read the book, checked it out from the library. It had all been there, plain as day. No attempt at being cryptic, it was as if the author was just _waiting_ someone to come along make the connection. Who were they again? Something Sanin, or Senin or some such…

Why was she remembering this now? Well, not much else to do. Her weapons were now scattered and buried too deep for her to move- body much the same. Without defense she was dead already. Jin was going to kill her.

That didn't mean she wasn't going to go down kicking and screaming. She would fight to her final breath, even if that was what he wanted. She might not have been like the main character in the book, and this certainly wasn't Tale of a Gutsy-

Guts were rattled as she was slammed against the pavement, resistance forced out of her along with what would be her last gasp.

Except that she was suddenly muzzled, something else filling her mouth instead of air. It slipped through her lips, filling out her throat like a clown blowing a balloon animal and tying her thoughts into a pretzel.

What was going on? Lack of oxygen was made it impossible to think. She was beginning to black out when the black compression shirt was ripped off her chest, claws neatly severing her undergarments and leaving five light marks across her flesh.

Her head was pounding. Blood was on fire when it met the cool cavern air, forcing a gasp as the gag finally removed itself from her mouth. Dizzily, she saw Jin leering over her with tongue dripping saliva- _both his and hers_\- before he moved on to her ear. From there, his tongue slowly trailed down the side of her neck all the way down to her navel, lapping up salt and iron from her skin. She shuddered as it crossed the valley between her breasts, took the roundabout her bellybutton and dipped inside, tickling the ancient knot.

Jin had teased Pyrrha with a lick before, being sure to leave plenty of slobber trying to make it as disgusting as possible. But what he probably didn't know was that she was used to it, animal affection a hazard/benefit of working on a small farm.

This… this was completely new to her. Nora had been right, and Pyrrha was woefully inexperienced to defend against these assaults to her senses. Animal instincts fought against common sense; she felt violated- and worshipped, all in the same, shocked breath which was as sharp as Jin's tongue as it traced a figure eight over her abs on its way down…

Her eyes screwed up in her head as he slipped below, vision going white and back arching towards the heavens as catechism shook her. Something flooded out of her, taking with it all her mundane cares, and this emptiness was replaced by a transcendental ecstasy. There was nothing left for her on earth anymore.

Right and wrong mattered as little as right and left as she stared in straight-up bliss. Even when color came back, she couldn't tell the difference between the red and blue eyes staring down at her. Both were part of the same stare, the same hideous, beatific face which she neither hated nor loved but knew better than her own.

The angel inhabiting her body guided a hand to caress his cheek. In delirium, she graced over the sharp angles of his armor, fingers running down sulci until they found a chink that hadn't been there before. Her thumb like his tongue felt the scarred flesh, destroying the illusion of perfection. The eye- the person- he had tried so hard to hide stared back at her from somewhere far off.

"…lonely…"

A lone word was all it took for the world to come crashing back through that sky-blue portal. Jin recoiled from her touch as if it burned- as if she were the succubus about to steal the one thing he had left.

Once the demon and his serpentine tongue left her, the knowledge of what it had done- what it had tempted her to do- returned, and she fell from grace-

Pyrrha came down hard on hands and legs, turned over and emptied the contents of her stomach- which wasn't much. Acid rose to scour the taste- and the memory of it- which had curdled like cream.

This mere comparison brought another round of retching, dry heaving until her throat was raw and her whole body shook in seizure. Knees knocked as she tried to clench them together with the dregs of strength she had left. There wasn't enough for her arms which buckled, forehead hitting the concrete and her vision swimming. She flopped over onto the pavement, but it felt as if she just kept rolling, tumbling forever downwards.

There she lay in the middle of the street, totally exposed, unable to do anything but imagine the hundreds of Grimm ogling her tender flesh. Something dripped down her face- it might have been blood or sweat, but there was so much of each already that it was hard to tell.

She wasn't going to cry, though.

No, while her body trembled, it was because the underground was always cool- cold now that she had lost her upper layers and caloric heat bled off into the night.

Then a blanket was draped over her, musty and rough like a dog that had returned from a day at the beach and hadn't quite dried out. Maybe it was a tarp, covering her corpse which was admittedly too numb to tell the difference. Something equally unknown picked her up gently, as one might a filthy object with a handkerchief, swaddling her firmly so that she wouldn't slip out.

"…Sorry."

The apology slipped out once again and she wasn't sure if she was apologizing to, or for, him. Convinced that she was right, though, the hold around her tightened ever so slightly, somehow careful enough not to cause her pain.

"**Baka," **

She knew the tone if not the term, and Pyrrha couldn't help but agree. They were both fools, gluttons for punishment. In different circumstances, in another world, they might have been perfect for one another. If not soulmates, then nemesis. However…

"**It's time to head back."**

* * *

"Come on, guys, hurry up! Let's go!"

Jaune wasn't just impatient but nervous as well. It had taken them too long, in his opinion, to find a rope long enough to attempt lowering one of them down the abyssal sinkhole. But as he stood on the precipice with one end tied tight around his waist, he couldn't help but think how it was also long enough to hang himself with.

"See, Ren, what'd I tell ya? Always need some feckin' rope," After snapping it to test the coils' strength, Nora looped the rough hemp around her fingerless gloves and sunk her feet into the divots they had made to prevent her from slipping. While the huntress was more than capable of hefting her scrawny captain, there was still a physical difference in their weight. "You see Charles Bronson in the movies, he's always got some bloody rope."

"Who?"

"-Never mind that, we need to-"

As he turned back to bark at his teammates, Jaune fortuitously took a step away from the hole just as something burst out of it. The reverse meteor blew away the wooden beam and pile of rubble they had set up for a fulcrum, showering the three with dirt and jagged bits of conglomerate.

After their fits of coughing died down, it didn't take them long to identify what had interrupted their rescue plan. There, in all his ominous glory, stood half of their missing persons (not to mention the reason they were attempting a recovery in the first place). -Although, maybe 'glory' was too strong a word, for the longer they squinted at him in the wane moonlight, the less menacing he looked. More like a drowned rat, clinging on to a limp scrap for dear life.

"-Pyrrha!" Jaune only saw the red hair- and not the scathing look Jin shot at him as he ran up to them, jerking the chord out of Nora's loose grip. "What did you do to her?!"

"**Nothing a few day's rest won't cure," **

Which was both true and not, and which Jaune didn't trust for a second. He stood in front of Jin with arms extended, waiting to be handed the cocooned form of his partner.

But the Grimm was oddly possessive of her, reluctant to hand over responsibility to the pathetically weak huntsman. His guarded stance reminded the students of an animal hording his food, or, however strange it would seem, a parent protecting their child.

The thought might have been reflected in their faces, because as Jin scanned them (one eye seeming to travel slower than the other, or was it just their imagination?), he made a conscious shift. Suddenly becoming self-conscious of his actions, he wavered a few more seconds before hesitantly presenting- _**his**__ –_ possession to the awaiting huntsman.

When it got to the last of the countdown, however, he abruptly retracted his offer, extending one of his tails instead and shoving Jaune to the ground.

The teen's protests were cut off short as something launched from the darkness and cut into Jin's back. The beast roared as his other tails worked to fend off the unknown attacker, all whilst he clutched Pyrrha tight in the crook of his arm.

With the other claw he turned around and grabbed one of the several tendrils assaulting him, yanking it towards him along with whatever was on the other end. The enemy was evidently smart enough to know when to cut its losses, jettisoning the captured appendage where it fell limp as a chain in Jin's grasp.

It turned out to be, in fact, a chain. Albeit, one with razor-sharp links that left deep gouges in the Grimm's back (or had those been there before?).

It also happened that the 'whatever' was actually a 'whomever', being jerked out of cover before they could fully detach their weapon. And while the conscious members of JNPR were stumped when the orange-haired girl who could have been Nora's catholic-school counterpart stumbled out of the darkness, Jin growled in obvious recognition.

"**You picked a **_**seriously **_**crappy time, **_**Durama**_**." **

"Greetings and salutations!" The girl chirped like a nightingale, apparently blind to Jin's animosity but not the Grimm himself, "Hello again, Jinchῡriki!"

She waved, as did the chains connected to her backpack which glimmered like electrum in the moonlight. The sight of them must have jogged one of the Grimm's more unpleasant memories (they were probably all unpleasant, but this one was clearly not only touchy but potentially dangerous) for he temporarily put aside his disgust for Jaune and traded the boy his partner, leaving hands free for what, they could only imagine.

"I'm back to kill you!"

None of them had entertained this possibility- except for Jin himself, whose response frightened JNPR more with how serious he was taking it.

"**Try it, you'll see you should've stayed extinct… **_**UZUMAKI!" **_

* * *

**Chapter Title: Eighteen/Woman of Mass Distraction by Alice Cooper**

**So, if you've gotten this far, you might understand why it took me so long to get out (among other, mundane reasons). I briefly mulled over whether to split this with the next one (Tentative Chapter Title: What is Love?) which would clarify my reasoning a bit better. If you really can't wait, I'll try to answer PM's promptly this time, but I will warn you in advance that I'm about to hit the road for 9 hours and there will be at least that much delay. Then again, perhaps no amount of effort or time can explain what's wrong with me...**


	19. Baby, Don't Hurt Me

**...Wow, where to start? Important stuff:**

**I am alive.**

**I got a job, which I still go to every day. **

**I am so, so, so, sorry that you all had to wait this long. **

**Especially these days, I think we all need a little bit of an escape. The shackles of my new employment make this difficult for me, to say the least. But ironically, ever since the outbreak of COVID-19 I have found more purpose and desire to write. Not necessarily the time to do so, since I am healthy and not under quarantine. The only leg up I have on all this is that I am already partially insane. **

**I pray that all of you are safe as well, and not any more stressed than you need to be. More than that, I hope that I can continue to do my part and bring everyone some measure of relief from the troubles of reality. For those of you who will still accompany me on my descent into madness, you have my sincerest thanks.**

**All the best,**

**Gaetan**

* * *

"**Do you have any idea what you have done?!"**

It was over, done. Any pretense of fairness or freedom was stripped away like the religious trappings of a church, leaving only bare-bones severity.

In a blink of the sun and moon the sky had fallen, stars running down like splattered egg yolk and stripping all the colors from their pastel landscape. Afterwards, a thick oil pencil then came along and framed them, caged them in like wood-block prints of birds in a Naturalist's field guide.

Then, when all the colors had settled like muddy water on the floor, their warden emerged from the murky darkness. At long last, the author of their fate appeared, sketched there in black and white.

"**I don't get it. Why can't people make up their minds?" **As the only one who could- as the only one with any real power, Jin had half a mind to turn around and walk out right then and there. Instead, he insisted on maintaining his place, and his ignorance. Irreverently, he scooped a finger into the non-existent wax in his ear, flicking it off into a fathomless corner. **"I'm always being accused of either doing something or **_**not **_**doing something… which is it, huh?" **

"**You betrayed us." **

Kokouo's expression served as evidence, the horse-dolphin looking long enough in the face to finally resemble his constituent creatures.

"_**How?**_**"** Jin growled up at his accusers as if he were the one deceived, alone in front of a hung jury. **"I promised to reunite you, is it my fault you're not enjoying the **_**family reunion**_**?" **

"**Say that to me on this side of the bars, you little shit!" **Matatabi slammed her head against said bars, eyes bulging on either side as if ready to leap out on their own if need be. **"We could be having this **_**conversation **_**on the outside, if it weren't for you!" **

"**And how long do you think that would last beyond pleasantries, hm?"** His voice mockingly pleasant, tails waggling in reminder of who held all the power. **"**_**Barring **_**the fact that without me you'd still be too mindless to use words, do you really think the humans of this era would be any more likely to leave you alone? How long before they start hunting you down like common Grimm, eh, Neko-chan?" **

"**Oh, come on! We both know that wasn't me! My Chakra-"**

"**-Was just acting like a **_**monster**_**?!" **Jin likewise threw himself at the cage, rattling the towering columns along with the Two-Tail's nerves. The other Tailed Beasts dwarfed their warden; however, it was all a matter of _his_ mind. **"Face it! That's all they'll ever see! This world for centuries has been stuck in a war against monsters **_**like us**_**! They've gotten so used to it that the creatures hardly scare them anymore. In boredom they've gone back picking fights amongst themselves! Atlas and the **_**Schnees**_** have already started trying to harness the Grimm's tainted Chakra as weapons, how long until they do the same to you?!"**

"**And what about **_**you**_**?" **Matatabi skulked around the cage with pride wounded from flinching, turned around to snap at their 'caretaker' from the other side of Isobu's shell. **"What makes you different from us- no, from **_**them**_**? You only want us for our power too, don't you?! How can you not be ashamed of yourself, using that accursed Sharingan to trick and manipulate us?"**

"**Well, I'm sorry if your 'habitat' wasn't to your liking," **The apology was as false as their former surroundings. However, it couldn't be said that the stark cage and sneer leveled against them was any better. Jin had dissolved the illusion upon request, but that was the only concession he seemed willing to give them. **"I did the best I could. And for the record, any power of yours that I used was given **_**freely**_**." **

"**-And now we're revoking it, **_**freely**_**."** Making the decision for the rest, Matatabi missed the irony as she stalked back up to the front of their compact enclosure.

"**Oh, so you want to make it harder for me to liberate your remaining siblings? By all means, take away my ability to fight them on even terms. I'm sure one of these baby warriors who're so eager for justice would be perfectly happy and **_**capable **_**of taking down a rampaging Eight-Tails." **

"**They would be… if you gave them our power."**

Matatabi had only meant it to be insolent, but the blank stone walls reflected her suggestion, bounced it around their heads where it continued to accumulate seriousness like a layer of chalk.

"**Sure, why not?"** Jin scoffed, letting the idea blow away like a dust bunny. **"After all, I clearly failed since **_**you're still out of your mind! **_**How in the Hell do you think that would work, huh? Think I can just puke you up and force-feed you to the vessel of your choosing? If it didn't kill them outright, what makes you think that they would even accept something like that- what makes you think they would accept **_**you?**_**"**

"**Didn't stop **_**you**_**, did it?" **Never before had they known the Five-Tails to sound so vindictive. He had always advocated giving Jin the benefit of the doubt- but there was no doubt, no forgiveness in his voice as he stared down at their fellow monster as if he were nothing more than a rat. **"You never asked us if we wanted to be in your seal, never gave us a choice. You kept us in the dark as to what was going on outside, forced your fanciful drama on us- **_**forced yourself on that girl!-**_**"**

Kokouo was forced to stop, the grinding of his underbite sealing his jaw like a cave-in.

"…**It's not too late to make things right," **It was not in his habit to play moderator; Son Goku was likely even less forgiving than the Five-Tails when it came to Jin's abhorrent behavior, but he could see that someone needed to step up. He could see the shame Jin was carefully trying to hide in the shadows of the cavernous room- along with the opportunity this weakness provided. **"I myself would like to make amends, to those two children who suffered because of my Cha- because of me. I doubt that either one would accept being my vessel, but maybe one of the others, their teammates might allow me to be by their side."**

"**Lie Ren was the boy's name, right? He seems like an intelligent, patient young man. I wouldn't mind him as a partner, if he would have me." **Isobu stuck his head out of his shell and into the conversation for the first time, a gleam of hopefulness underneath the tired ridge of his brow.

"**It might not be me whom **_**Jaune Arc**_**, needs an apology from," **Between a growl came Kokouo's accented pronunciation, the Five-Tails pausing as he swallowed the scathing remarks which he knew would not help his case. **"-But I believe I could help the young man. He has a brilliant mind that needs fostering- instead of constantly being cut down." **

"**Saiken likes everybody!"** From where he was flattened into the floor, the Slug suddenly inflated along with the optimistic upwelling, pressing the others up to the edge of their pen with his excitement. **"But who like Saiken? Maybe… Hairy-One not mind Saiken' slime!"**

Once it clicked, the nickname for Yang earned a chuckle which Matatabi disguised as a scoff.

"**Who else for me but the **_**Neko Musume**_**? She'd at least be quiet enough that I could get some sleep…"**

"**Ooh-ooh! Son, since you're not taking either of those two, can I have the orange girl with the huge hammer-"**

"**NO!"**

"**No, no, no, no!"**

A rare moment of agreement when everyone shot down Shukaku's pick. But that bridge was broken before it could be mended, the endless atmosphere above caving in as Jin pounded the floor in childish tantrum, reality itself seemed to twist like clay as he wrung his ears in frustration.

"**This is **_**not **_**happening! Don't you idiots understand? I'm the Jinch****ū****riki! **_**Me!**_** And you are mine!** **I'm not the best choice- I'm the only Kami-forsaken one!"**

The aftermath of his tirade was more awkward than awe-inspiring, the Half-Beast sucking his teeth to control his rage. With a bitter scowl Jin realized that while he could assert his dominion over the others, the claim was as empty as his side of the cage.

"**Then… I choose Naruto." **

In contrast, Kukouo had becalmed, sliding in this joker card with his regained poker-face.

"**What the Hell kind of game are you playing at, horse-face?"** Jin couldn't see it, blinking and even overlooking the mention of his predecessor.

"**Let us agree, for a moment, that nothing has changed; we are the same Tailed Beasts as the Sage's children. Accepting that there is no place in this world for us; we are monsters and will always be regarded as such. **

"**Then the same must be true about **_**you**_**, no? Raised by humans, you might have rejected their appearance, yet you take on their bad habits. Still, you are not just a product of your environment; as much as you treat their names as anathema, your progenitors are a part of who you are. **

"**So far, I have seen the jealous, egotistical, **_**monstrous**_** behavior that is more aligned with that blackguard, Madara." **While he sneered much like the haughty Uchiha, it seemed as if Jin was incapable of controlling this impulse. He should have been able to morph his appearance in the seal to suit whatever he wanted, but his right eye remained closed while the sole Sharingan glared back at the Five-Tails inconsequently. **"-But where is Naruto Uzumaki? Wherever you have him locked away, let him speak! His ideals might be imperfect, but that doesn't make them irrelevant! Let them be tempered by experience- but never extinguished!" **

It was painful hearing the desperation in their brother's voice, but the other Tailed Beasts didn't shy away from it. Not like Jin who clamped his eyes in denial. He looked all but ready to return them to the cardboard world, which was far more spacious than their current shoebox, but infinitely lonelier. At least here they could see the walls which entrapped them and even had a glimpse of an outside through cracks in Jin's mental state.

"…**You think he's not here?"** With contempt Jin cracked the lid over his right eye, showing the cold, blue diamond which had been there all along. **"What the **_**hell**_** do you know about Naruto?" **

The name had been a prickly subject- now as sharp as a knife in his hands as he brandished it at them.

"**Well? What besides the stories Kurama told you do you **_**really **_**know? Naruto was your Jinch****ū****riki for- what, less than a week? And that was enough time for you to see into his soul? Don't give me that crap!"** Unable to give any excuse, the icy blue eye which continued to cast its scorn upon them was too familiar for them to say anything. **"If you knew anything… you would know he had his darkness, too. Just as both Naruto and Madara are a part of me, that darkness was part of him. Did you ever consider that the good, selfless Naruto really died that day, just like he planned? Maybe all that's left is **_**me**_**. Like how all that's left are **_**you**_**, a bunch of useless relics." **

"**Naruto accepted his darkness,"** Son Goku accepted the challenge, ambled up to the barrier and gripped the bars which looked like twigs in his humanlike hands, groaning but never yielding. **"Even if you are his darkness, you should know how horrible it feels to be alone."**

"**Oh, but I do,"** Both eyes snapped opened, Jin's Sharingan spinning proudly and driving the Tailed Beasts back like leaves in a whirlwind. **"I remember a child who was alone for the first decade of his life, taught to accept simple acts of humanity as **_**kindness**_**, tricked into thinking table scraps were real food and that was all he deserved. They fattened him like a lamb to the slaughter on propaganda: 'Will of Fire', 'Child of Prophecy', Jinch****ū****riki- the most apt title of all, 'Power of Human Sacrifice'- an accursed life sacrificed **_**to **_**that power, not for it!**

"**No, not for oneself, but for others. That's the only time people pay attention, when you're useful to them- or, a danger. Fear or blind faith- why is there never an in-between? Why can't I just **_**exist**_**? **

"**Yes, I remember **_**battling **_**every day for acceptance- only to be gypped out of it time and again. And, finally, when this humble goal was within reach, I had to give it all up to save an ungrateful world! And for what? For it all to happen again- and again **_**and again**_**!**

"_**When**_** do I get my chance to simply live? **_**Where **_**is my happy ending?!" **

In the end, there was none. Someone was always inking in the missing parts like holes in his flesh. Only over his dead body would he allow someone else to step up and play the martyr.

"**You don't deserve one." **The sacrilegious comment arose from the dead silence, the Nekomata gaining her new life with a cruel grin. **"What? After all this, you expect **_**pity**_**? Oh, boohoo, 'I had a bad childhood'. By the Sage, even the Uchiha wasn't this insufferable! Maybe he thought the world revolved around him like the sun, but at least he had a sense of obligation! Do you even **_**hear **_**to yourself when you talk, or is there just a black hole between those oversized ears of yours?"**

"**I don't have to listen to this."**

"**Oh, no, you certainly don't. Unlike **_**us **_**you can just walk away**_**,**_**" **Though it was as if Matatabi had reached through the bars with her paws and snagged Jin, stopping him by his tails which were as idle as loose threads. **"-**_**Like you always do**_**. You walked away from your second chance at a childhood with Ozpin and Salem, even though you knew the pain of being alone. Why? Wanna know what I think- why would you still be here if you didn't?"**

There was, as always, a duplicity. Growling passive-aggressively with his back turned, yet Jin made no move to or away from the cage.

"**You're **_**scared**_**. It's not that you resent Madara and Naruto for being stupid, it's because you know they're better than you. Sure, they both failed in their own way, but you can't even make it that far! You're worried that you'll fuck everything up like you did trying to get Shukaku. Or if that's too far back, why don't we talk about how you **_**tried**_** to fuck Pyr-"**

"_**Quiet!"**_

"_**NO!"**_The refusal was a spike causing the solid stone floor to ripple, forcing the bars to jump like a tuner and even Jin to take a step back. **"Even if you shrink this cage to the size of thimble, even if you construct a hell to torture us for the rest of your miserable life, at least once during that time you will pay attention to someone else!"**

No one else spoke, and Jin stood in solitary on the other side of the divide.

"**No… no, there is nothing left to say," **Coming to the crux of the matter, Matatabi realized they'd been there before. It had all been said and rehashed hundreds of times, and once more would make no difference. **"Whatever we say won't reach you… your mind is a cage."**

Doing what she did best, Matatabi turned her two tails with a fiery fleer, curled up in a corner and the silence she had cast.

"**I'd curse you to live a lonely life, but you're doing well enough on your own. So, go ahead, leave us and lock the door behind you. You are not wanted here."**

She dared kick him out of his own mind with only a cold shoulder and the stubborn immutability that sleeping cats are notorious for. If he'd been petty, Jin could have molded their container without corners, made it so small it would be impossible to move and left nowhere for her to hide.

"**For the record,"** This wouldn't work for any of the other Tailed-Beasts as each confronted him with the same confidence with which Matatabi turned her back. **"We knew our brother a lot longer than Naruto did. And I can tell you that Kurama would be ashamed."**

Kokouo had finally settled on his words, let them settle on Jin like fine sediment until the truth was a slab of limestone trapping him. He might have looked like the Nine-Tailed Fox, but he was nothing but bones, a fossil, a negative photograph.

The lights flickered and dimmed as Jin dissolved, reminding the Tailed Beasts of all he was, really.

A shadow.

* * *

"**You picked a **_**seriously **_**crappy time, Durama…"**

Cowering in the shadows, team JNPR couldn't help but agree. It was bad enough that Jin seemed to be in an especially pissy mood, but the students themselves were officially crapped out; down to the last rounds in their magazines and to just dregs in their tanks. Worse than that, they were down a team member, whom the Grimm seemed keen on keeping the way a dog holds hostage its favorite chew toy.

"Greetings and Salutations!" On top of it all was the strange girl's smile, brilliant as a flare- ready to call down an artillery strike on their heads. "Hello again, Jinchῡriki!"

"What do we do?"

Jaune couldn't even decide whether to wave back as the girl sent them her creepily cheerful greetings. That she could address the Grimm so familiarly was already disturbing- that she had managed to injure him was terrifying.

Even wounded, Jin was still capable of taking charge. He took away the problem of having to choose, trading it for the huntsman's partner whom he handed over as if her blanket-wrapped form was an ancient mummy that would blow away in the slightest breeze.

Having his teammate in hand didn't reassure Jaune. If anything, her fragile state and the fact that Jin needed two hands for what was about to happen increased his stress.

**"…You should've stayed extinct… UZUMAKI!"**

Jaune tensed- If she'd still been in the Grimm's arms, Pyrrha would have been crushed. As it stood, the captain of JNPR could barely stand, could barely breathe under the mercuric weight of Jin's anger washing over him.

"Uh, Capin', you might want to take a step back…"

Already being pushed there, Jaune retreated and sought shelter among his team, together in an abandoned pharmacy under a green cross sign that hung askew by a single bolt. Sliding behind the rusted register, the huntsman gently set his partner down amongst the empty pill bottles and bandages which had become permanently adhered to the floor. Together, the rest of JNPR peaked their heads out over the peeling linoleum countertop, terrified and yet curious too curious to look away.

The new arrival also looked askance at Jin, appearing almost as lost as Jaune felt most of the time.

"Uzumaki… I have heard this before," Though she sounded somehow doubtful, as if Jin's anger was a fog which obscured the original brilliance of her purpose. "I believe it is a name, correct? Father mentioned my desig-*hic*… resemblance. However, I have yet to come across any records in either official or unofficial databases. Please, tell me, what does it mean?"

"**It means I should have dismantled you the first time we crossed paths. Now I'm gonna have to be careful about taking you apart piece by piece until I find your maker-mark, use it to track down that so-called 'father' of yours and eradicate that name from this planet myself!"**

The vehemence was like a slap of reality, freckles nearly being wiped from her cheeks along with the definition she had so painstakingly crafted.

Was _this _hatred? The Jinchῡriki had been right; it was strong. All her previous learning seemed pale in comparison- not just her knowledge about this specific emotion, but emotions in general. Information was nothing like experience- did she dare expose herself?

At this point, could she even stop the flood comprehension from drowning her? Where was its source? This feeling called 'hatred' was taking over her systems like a virus- no, it affected her _soul_, skipping logic entirely and corrupting her core.

An illogical input, returning error message 6518- FEAR.

System reset.

Retrieve last saved copy.

* * *

"_Salutations Lt. Schnee!"_

"_-By the Brothers!" _

_Her body remained stationary as Winter's head whipped around, an audible crack as she looked to see who had barged in after a clinical knock- the hospital staff tended to approach her with more caution, so there was only one other person it could be. _

"_Penny, you scared the crap out of me." Invoking a new crick in her neck between the C1 and C3 vertebrae which Winter rubbed with a slender hand, anticipating the headache to come. "What is it? And don't call me Lieutenant… I'm on indefinite leave, remember?" _

"_My apologies, Lieu- Ms. Schnee," Was she angry? Irritated? Or just in pain? Faces like names were subtle and still a challenge for the gynoid; which was why Penny was here. "I came to check up on you. How are you feeling?"_

_The long-suffering sigh would have been enough for any organic being to understand. But this case, it allowed Winter to gather patience, recompose herself for a long and drawn-out explanation which she should have been used to by now. _

"_From the waist down, nothing." -Which didn't keep her from being blunt, frustrations taken out on the first person foolish enough to listen, "The rest of my body feels like it was used for a badminton game between two Beringals." _

_If nothing else, it must have reminded the huntress how she needed to circulate blood in her legs. Bending at the waist, she massaged her limbs which remained motionless as butcher's sausages under the paper-thin sheets. _

"_-And for the last time, Winter's fine," the snap of a cleaver._

"_I- I'm sorry," At least, Penny was finally able to read the situation enough not to ask why two Grimm would be playing glorified tennis. "-But Father is coming to Vale for the Vytal festival, and he should be able to restore use of your legs! I might not have fulfilled my purpose yet, but my technology has led to many advances in biomechanics. In the meantime, I would be happy to alert the nursing staff about your discomfort. I have reviewed your records, and if the current level of pain medication is not enough-"_

"_-I'm not taking the damn meds." _

_Unable to take a clue, Penny didn't know where to go from there. Dare she risk (further) irritating the Lieu- Winter with her question? Either way, the woman was a captive audience. This seemed like as good a time as any._

"…_Winter, what is Hate?" _

_It was vulgarity in an opera, Winter blinked as the lights started to come on._

"_-Oh, Penny, please forgive me. I didn't mean to sound angry. Don't think I dislike you, I'm just- well, you can understand why I'm not in a good mood, right?" _

"_Your body is not functioning properly," Much like Penny herself felt, envious of the steady heart monitor in the corner whose job was more laid out than the pulse of a corpse. "But it should be fixed, shortly."_

"_True," Winter chuckled dryly, feeling parched as she hefted herself up into a more seated position in her bed and looked at the lukewarm glass of water on the side table next to her, wondering how long it had been there. "But short or long, the future doesn't really exist for us humans- or Faunus, for that matter. _

"_-I know what you're going to say; it's not rational, but that's just the point. Unlike robo- people like you, we can't quantify what's going to happen. So, what comes next is unknown- like, say, someone barging in and surprising us. And that sort of thing brings us anxiety."_

"_It does," Penny agreed, ironically one of the few things she did know._

"_Yes,_ _although…" The word actually appeared heavy as Winter sunk into the pillows she had piled behind herself. "So does the past. Mainly because it seems so clear, we think we might have changed it." _

_There was a subtle change in her heartbeat, in her blood pressure as she clenched and unclenched her fist slowly. Apart from her upper body, Winter also still had control over her faculties, her military discipline making her seem robotic at times- and yet still more human than Penny. _

"…_That's why it helps to have something to focus on. Something strong, like pain, keeps us grounded on what's real. You have pressure sensors, artificial nerves, don't you?" _

_Penny nodded, something more than these nerves prickling her as she didn't like where the conversation was going. _

"_Pain's not a pleasant sensation, is it?" The answer was written on the robot's face, though she neglected to notice. "But… its better than feeling nothing at all... And getting back to your question, Hate's similar." _

_Her hands began rubbing numb legs absently while Winter grew detached to the conversation, retreating to the place she had been before Penny had entered the room and staring at the smear of red-orange sky outside the window._

"_Hate is not pleasant. But it can replace feelings that might be worse, like uncertainty, or emptiness. Imagine being locked in a room, alone, no connection to the outside world. A mind without a body."_

_There had been a brief, 7,182 millisecond period during Penny's initialization where her inner processes were active before her sensory systems. Objectively, it had been a short time. But without the outside world to give context, time was subjective. And it had been an abyssal eternity where she didn't know what was going to happen next. _

_Would she ever open her eyes? Would she ever move? Was she even alive back then? _

"…_Can you see why pain might be preferable?" _

_The nod was automatic, not even needing to cross her super-conducting synapses._

"_But," When the signal finally went through, however, it came out the gynoid's voice box in the form of a question. "Wouldn't it be better to concentrate on something pleasant?" _

_There didn't seem to be any emotion or feeling in the woman as she stared blankly at Penny, and for an incalculable moment it felt like a glitch in the machine, a horrible sensation that something was wrong- _

_But then Winter giggled, a not-unpleasant sound from the serious woman. _

"_Well, I suppose it would. Although-"_

"_-Hey, hey, is this Gimpy's room? Sorry to barge in, but the nurse wouldn't tell me the number- some military procedure or something- so I had to sneak in."_

"_-Although, it's more common for discomfort to find you."_

_Arriving in the form of a familiar, dark and swarthy huntsman whom, if one added a pitchfork, horns and a tail, could probably pass for the Devil's caricature. _

"_Hey now, that's hardly the proper way to welcome a well-wisher," Qrow sauntered in through the open door and slipped in next to Penny, holding a brown paper bag above her head and rustling it as if it were a dog treat that might get the invalid to leap out of bed. "And anyway, that's why I choose to drown every second of discomfort. Can I interest you in a drab, Milady?" _

"_There's probably a reason the nurse didn't let you in. You __**reek **__of booze more than the barracks at Christmas." An unfortunate experience, worse even than the odor of disinfectant already permeating the air. "Besides, don't you know you're not supposed to mix alcohol and medication?" _

"_Meh, self-medication never did me any harm," Qrow replied before Penny could point out that Winter had neglected hers, "Come'on, I went through all this trouble just to smuggle you some liquid solace. Quit being such a stickler for the rules. And don't quote military doctrine about being drunk on duty, I heard from Oz that you're not on the clock now, right?" _

_Despite her previous doubts, Penny knew that this was __**not **__the right thing to say. She didn't need a thermometer to tell that Winter's internal temperature skyrocketed past the threshold for potential fever, her sickly-pale face now a shade of cough-syrup. _

"_So that's it? You just came here to __**gloat?**__ Figures! Inebriation has probably atrophied your skills so much that you can only hope to win against a cripple!" _

"_-Seemed to be doing pretty good before…" Qrow's whisper seemed to be meant for her, an aside meant for the audience._

"_What was that?!" Regardless, the remark slipped past Qrow's sloppily placed hand meant to guard it from Winter's ears. "You know, I wouldn't be in this situation if it wasn't for you!" _

"_Woah, hold up, I wasn't looking for a fight back then, and I sure as hell ain't now. I'll admit my part in what happened, but don't take it all out on me. There's someone else who should share the blame, right?" Winter's pain had a clear focus, Qrow wisely backing up from the bed with hand and bottle of booze raised in the air. "Besides, Ironwood won't just throw you away after a little crack or two. Worse comes to worse, I'm sure Ozzy will spring for a few repairs. Legs are easy enough these days- Well, I mean, I can understand if you're worried about not feeling anything 'down there' for the rest of your life. But it's not like it's that big of a change, right?"_

_Perhaps, 'wise' was not a word to describe the huntsman. Although, the android had to admire his ability to 'push all her buttons'. _

"_**OUT!"**_

_What happened next was as confusing as Penny's previous questions. She didn't grasp how Qrow had become a literal smoking dent in the wall- wasn't quite sure why she was kicked out with him, nor even __**why**__ she didn't understand these things in the first place. But, Penny had more pressing matters. _

"_Mr. Branwen? Can I ask you something?" _

"_Look, kid, I'm really not the right person to ask about the Birds and the Bees. Why don't you go find a nurse or something? This is a hospital, ain't it?" Qrow looked around questioningly left and rate, took a step forward out of the hole in the wall but ended up simply sliding down to the floor. "…On second thought, I might have to ask __**you**__ to get a nurse." _

_That said, Penny could read his vitals and see that the man's Aura was already healing him, scabbing his wounds and metabolizing the alcohol in his system. So, she wasn't worried when he popped the cork on his gift bottle (which was miraculously intact) and took a healthy swig. Rather, she was impressed at his rate of regeneration, taking a seat next to the man in order to collect more data on this phenomenon. _

"_Mr. Branwen, how would you describe the emotion of hate?" _

_Once detached from the bottle, the huntsman's head flopped over to stare at her blankly. _

"_Should I ask a nurse instead?" _

_With a gasp for air that sounded like a dismissal, Qrow tipped the bottle back up right and wiped a stray drop that had gotten caught between the branches of his stubble. _

"_Nah. But if I'm gonna get philosophical, I better be drunk first. Well, more drunk." _

_She didn't argue as he took another sip. Then another. And another. _

_Finally, as he raised the half-empty bottle to his lips a fourth time, he halted himself before she could, and stared down the spout like it was a loaded gun. _

"_Hate's a fickle thing." He sloshed the bottle, stared half-lidded at the tumultuous eddies and whirlpools forming behind the dark-green glass. "You know how many women I've slept with who've said they hate me? What am I saying, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about…"_

"_Sexual intercourse, right?"_

_Once again, it was as if he wasn't really talking to her, surprised by the answer and removing the bottle from his lips with a blink. Thankfully, he hadn't taken another swig. _

"_Um, yeah… Who are you, again?"_

"_I'm sorry, I guess we've never been formally introduced. I'm Penny, Penny Poledina! It's a pleasure to meet you!" However, the good feelings were blunted by the inebriated man who ignored her outstretched hand._

"_Right, I remember. That explains a lot…" Unlike Winter, he didn't elaborate to her as he downed another healthy taste which left barely four finger-widths at the bottom of the bottle. "Anyway. Hate- __**real **__hate's not that common. People typically just use it when they don't know what they're really feeling. Take Ice Queen, for example. You seem pretty close to her. She's probably told you she hates people like me… or maybe me specifically. But ya know, I'm betting it's more of an annoyance/jealousy type thing. Probably." _

_Before he could change his mind and mull on it further, he drowned the questions like the next couple of seconds with the remainder of the wine, finishing the bottle with a pop. _

"_Right. So, people don't really hate each other all that often, yeah? Like most human emotions it's usually more complicated… and troublesome." Qrow sneezed, feeling something in the back of his mind that was older than the now empty vintage bottle he rolled down the hallway. "Hell, we even have a phrase. Ever hear of a 'Love-Hate relationship'? The two are supposed to be opposite, but they're so damn close you can taste them in the same breath *burp*!" _

"_Excuse you," Up until then Penny had been nodding along like the man was a venerated Sage. Although, even the burp didn't bother her that much, and she offered forgiveness without a blink. "But I am not sure I understand, how can two people both love and hate one another?" _

"_Trust me, they can," It was astounding how the man could be so free with his drinks and answers one second, and then clam up and appear so dour the next, hanging his head between his knees and looking like a professional slob. "Try having a family." _

_After a few minutes of Penny craning her head at him, Qrow eventually snapped himself out of the ennui and recalled who he was talking to. _

"_Uh, right. Well, in any case, try not to take someone saying they hate you too seriously, okay? In fact, don't take anything I say too seriously, either. I don't want to be responsible for saying something I'm probably not going to remember in a couple of hours." _

"_If you like, I can play a recording back for you."_

"_No thanks," The thought alone seemed troubling to Qrow as he reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out his usual flask, adding another tally to his drunken score. "I don't really enjoy hearing the sound of my own voice." Though after another shot, he added: "That, and some things deserve to stay in the past."_

"_With the tales I've heard of your galivanting, I imagine there are a few nights you'd prefer to forget, Branwen."_

"_Jimmy! What a pleasant surprise," _

_Sarcasm was still a tricky thing for Penny. However, based on the way that Qrow grudgingly pushed himself up from his hole in the wall, it was likely neither of these things. _

"_I was just giving your subordinate my regards and condolences, since these __**unfortunate **__situations seem to keep happening to her. Would have made it here sooner, but I sort of got lost on the road of life- still, managed to beat you here, eh?"_

"_If you recall, I carried Lt. Schnee here in my own two hands," Ironwood stated, narrowing both eyes at the huntsman before his field of vision expanded to include the android. "Penny, I take it you are here to see Winter as well." _

"_Yes, Sir," Back to orders, familiar territory never feeling quite so tense. "And hello, Headmaster Ozpin."_

"_Hello, Ms. Polendina. It's a pleasure to finally meet. I've heard quite a bit about you, but such talk never does anyone justice." Objectively, whatever the headmaster had heard about her couldn't have been good. She'd failed her intended purpose, unable to defeat the Jinchῡriki Ozpin himself was harboring. "However, right now I am more interested in the fascinating conversation you seem to be having with my subordinate. I'd be curious to know how you arrived on the topic of Hate."_

_Ironwood's scoff seemed to be all the incentive Qrow needed to step in._

"_Well, me and Ginger here were-"_

"_Actually, Qrow, since you are done checking up on Lt. Schnee, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind taking care of something else for me." Though his smile was implacable, the piece of paper Ozpin handed him and the way Qrow stiffened when he took it said enough. "Don't worry about Ms. Poledina, I am sure she will be perfectly fine in our company."_

_She was sure too. Right up until Qrow made a none-too-subtle glance back at her before leaving, shuffling down the hall with his hands shoved in his pockets and his half-cape swishing like the janitor's mop. Off to clean up another mess, Penny wondered._

"_So, James, what are your thoughts on the matter?" _

_Ironwood stared at Ozpin like there was something the matter with his fellow headmaster, before he remembered whom he was talking to. Folding his arms, the General did not have to fake impatience with his friend's antics. _

"_What, Ozpin, are we really going to stand here and pontificate?" His answer was a subtle raise of the eyebrows and Beacon's Headmaster bringing his mug to his lips as if they had planned to stop there for afternoon tea. "I don't believe this. We're supposed to be debriefing the Lieutenant... Fine, Hate is a frivolous emotion, something a person like me who is responsible for thousands of lives hardly has room for!" _

_Impatiently, Ironwood then turned his back on them and barged into Winter's room, closing the sliding door so hard it bounced in its tracks. There was a commotion, longer than the one Penny had caused upon entering, the details of which were sealed when Ironwood's robotic hand came back and firmly closed the door again. _

"_James doesn't like when things don't go his way," Alone, Ozpin talked about his fellow headmaster the way one would a petulant child, which Penny had to agree wasn't inappropriate. "Although, it is entirely fair. Like me, he holds a lot of responsibility and a lot of peoples' lives on his shoulders. I dare say if there is one thing the General truly hates, it's not knowing something he feels he should."_

"_People hate the unknown,"_

"_Yes, exactly," _

_Ozpin's acknowledgement was as automatic as the gynoid's while both stared unfocusedly at the occupied room, frosted glass blurring the forms inside until they were nothing more than vague ideas of people. Seconds blurred, slipped away as she waited for… something._

"_Headmaster?"_

"_Hm?"_

"_What do you… What is your definition of hate?"_

"_Hm…" Penny was still not used to a lot of human subtleties, this change in tone like a heretofore unknown rule in chess where Ozpin switched out Penny's target for a walled castle. "I am not sure if I am qualified to answer that. Having been a target… as well as an offender, my answer might be biased. While I have never seen anything good come out of hate, it's hard to prove a negative, isn't it? I'd be much more interested to know your opinion as an outsider, per se." _

"_I- *hic*- I…" Anything she could come up with would be regurgitated from internet sources or printed words, so she had no choice but to borrow. "I heard that having something to hate can make you strong. Therefore… hate can be used as a weapon?" _

"_Why yes, I suppose it could," Ozpin chuckled with the concern of a master looking down at a child with a wooden sword. Though there also seemed to be regret, as if the sword were replaced by a gun. "I have seen hate used to turn the tide of battle, to spur forces to victory and to liberate people from oppression."_

_A temporary goodness, though, like the bitterly fleeting high of caffeine or the sugar rush of a sip as the headmaster had of his cocoa before continuing, _

"_In the long run, though… what happens to a weapon after it has outlived its usefulness?" _

_Languishing, Penny was relegated to stand there and slowly rust while she waited for the headmaster to give the answer. Maybe she ought to find someone else, or else come up with her own, but she decided to wait a bit longer. It came after another pause, about to take a sip and then aborting. _

"_I am afraid that I don't know exactly what Hate is. Is it a weapon? A double-edged sword? Or is it something as simple as a waste of time or distraction? I suspect that even if we were someday able to cast off all our weapons, relegate armies and huntsmen to the scrapheap, that Hate would still exist. _

"_Still, wouldn't it be nice? As swords and cannons can be melted back to iron for railways and wires to connect us, maybe we can someday find a way to repurpose that 'frivolous' emotion."_

_Apparently, Ozpin was done being frivolous with his time, moving towards the door where the terse whispered had petered off. He slid it open and paused with one foot over the transept, one eye cast in such sharp reflection in his glasses it could cut Penny to her core. _

"_I hope this helped. Have a good life, Ms. Poledina."_

* * *

"…**Yo, you in there? So, what, now you just going to shut down and give up?"**

"Oh, no, sorry! I was just retriev-*hic*- remembering something," Though like she had forgotten the last few seconds, Penny rebooted with her face lit up like a power grid.

"**Well, I hope it was a good one… because it's the last you'll have!" **

It was a generous warning, obvious as a meteor streaking towards her from nothingness with tails ablaze in the night. Plenty of time to calculate the trajectory and not be there when it struck.

There'd been plenty of time for him to attack while she'd been offline, so why now? Why wait until she had a fighting chance- dodging the telegraphed the blow as if he'd literally called it ahead. His moves were obvious, yet his motives as unclear as the cloud of dust kicked up from his impact, and she considered simply asking-

"**-I'm going to destroy you," **She'd seen him go flying past her, but the creature's distinct voice came from behind as Penny skidded to a halt, chains digging in like icepicks to halt her evasive slide. **"And I'm going to enjoy it!" **

Such violent bloodlust surprised her almost as much as the flanking attack. Though it was again slow, as if the creature had to work himself up into this frenzy the way he hefted both claws in the air and tried to pound her into the sidewalk. Penny's feet left the ground as her chains sprung, launched her away and landing on their pointed tips like a multi-footed ballerina.

"Oh, are you willing to face me now?" He turned to her with a growl and fists still entrenched in the street, her countenance as unerring as graffiti on the wall. "I was under the impression that I had yet to meet your requirements… tell me, would you still like to hear my definition of Hate?"

"**Now? I'm willing to give you a firsthand lesson!" **

Jin ripped his clenched fists from the ground, taking up clumps of concrete with powerlines hanging loose like limp earthworms. He began chucking them at her much as a schoolyard bully would fling mud at an insect- two of his tails grabbing the gutted remains of a school bus and hurling it at her as she lazily dodged the other projectiles. But bigger didn't always mean better, and she let her tails shred the oncoming missile like it was a wet sticky note.

But the bus's parts were anything but flimsy to the team of huntsmen taking cover just a block away. Half a door tumbling corner over corner like a throwing star smashed into the rusted cash register, showering them with devalued Lien mixed with defenestrated glass. Jaune threw himself over his comatose partner, clamping his eyes shut as the fragments pelted his armor like rain off a tin roof. Some got snagged in his hood and wormed their way into his dirty blond hair which was currently more the former than the latter; he could really use a shower.

But that could come later. When he was relatively certain no more debris was coming their way, he brushed it off and joined the others in audience. More afraid than being collateral damage, they were afraid of missing a second.

Because something was wrong. The fight should have been over in seconds. If Jin was so dead set on killing this would-be assassin, why didn't he just eradicate her with one of those miniature black-holes they'd seen him sling about? Where was the hellfire, the briar of coral and blades of wind? That he didn't have so much as a smirk was chilling.

"I don't understand," Penny couldn't find him, the Grimm disappearing along with the last scraps of bus that fell like pollen. But her sensors were not as easily blocked as human senses; she hopped back as Jin sprouted from the ground in front of her and wrapped a chain around his arm before he could cut her, holding it as tight as kudzu. "Do you… hate me?"

"**I can't stand the sight of you!" **She stared at the cyclops, into the eye of the cyclone as it drew in spectrums invisible to the human eye and devoured them. **"Your very existence offends me!" **

Penny blinked in surprise as he spat at her and missed, the mailbox he hit dissolving like a popsicle in summer. It shrieked and capsized as his loogy ate away at the metal and boiled its peeling blue paint, silent, forgotten letters bleeding into the street.

"**I hate everything about you! Your upbeat attitude, your blind faith in that so-called 'father'- those damned shackles-!" **

Before she could get a word in on her defense, it crumbled, melted as acid oozed from his fingertips and turned her steel chain into mercury. His claws slid through the liquid metal, barely missing her but sending caustic droplets splattering across her freckled face which was stricken with what looked like grief and now, smallpox.

There was a follow-up strike that she halfheartedly tried to dodge, hopping back as his claw dragged across the bridge of her nose and stripped off a piece of her parchment-pale skin like a torn page from a newspaper whose headline sewed panic.

"**Even the color of your hair is an insult. Although, most of all, that damned, phony smile…" **She could no longer form a proper expression, but the patchwork lattice of artificial skin like a failed pie crust was unaccountably sad. **"Where's it now, huh?!" **

Penny didn't respond to his insults or assault. Defense wouldn't work, so she counterattacked, swiping at his legs as he galloped at her. But he skipped over the segmented whip like jump rope, ducked as the next came around at his head, then twisted like a pretzel out of the way as another came so close to his stomach as to scrape the salty sweat- if he'd had any.

"**Aren't you having fun?!"**

One of his own appendages wrapped around her weapon as it recoiled, dragging him down where he landed with one foot and one clawed hand on the ground like a game of hopscotch. With a skip and a hop, he was off again, flying, limbs getting as much contact with the surface as the hull of a hydrofoil.

She tried to swat him out of the air but found her strikes lagging, lacking in power when they did get close where he just batted them away as a hippo shoos flies without a second care. With each passing second he was getting closer, approaching the speed of sound and pulling away from her factory specs.

Penny was reaching her physical limits while he was just getting warmed up.

Although, there was something electric in the air- something between her shoulder blades that hummed with warmth and buzzed with energy as circuits connected pathways and sub-programs came online for the first time.

"**Little fool, thought you could kill me…"**

She couldn't even stop him, all the chains stretched across his path snapping like spider webs trying to catch a divebombing hawk. What was left of them she quickly retracted, unable to ensnare the Grimm who was blowing a corrosive bubble around himself. Then when it reached the size of a weather balloon, he smacked it at her like a volleyball.

The bubble's surface tension and Jin's lack of practice made it curve, striking the building behind her and causing a sprinkling of acid rain and effervescing concrete chunks. Taking a step back in avoidance, Penny was instead hit by inspiration as she turned on her heel and began battering the nearest structural support. More debris was shaken loose from up above, though she didn't need his mocking cackle to tell her it wasn't enough. Punching it again with her own two fists which were comparatively dainty yet shook the skyscraper like a piano's hammer striking a chord.

Chunks of debris large enough to crush a Bullhead cascaded like applause down in front of the charging Grimm and he screeched to a halt.

That was when he felt something digging up under his feet, disengaging his talons just in time for one of Penny's few undamaged chains to pry its chisel point through the stone steps in front of him. Hopping back just out of its reach, he watched the weapon come to the end of its tether, jerk to a stop and fall flaccid as a snake that had missed its meal.

"**Ha! Close, but no-ach!"**

Jin was cut off with an undignified squawk as the chain's pointed end opened like a bird-beak and shot him with a glowing green laser.

"**You-!... well, that's new…"**

Prying off the reflexively clutched paw like a band-aid, Jin looked down to appraise the new hole in his stomach. Bending over, he looked _through _it to see team JNPR's inverted and revulsed faces.

"**-But not enough, never enough..." **

Before their very eyes the wound was closing like a slow blink. He took a single slow step, then another, and then began closing the distance again, not looking back.

Penny analyzed his approach from atop the anthill she had created, her vantage allowing her to better calculate his likely paths and intercept with her newly armed barrage of lasers. No matter how fast he was, light was faster.

Though he hardly seemed bothered by this fact, barely inconvenienced by the through hole in his stomach as her chains like untethered firehoses spewed forth a lightshow worthy of the main drag in Vacuo's casino capitol.

In the meantime, however, she was healing too, the enfilade buying Penny enough time for her nanomachines to secrete new skin and for her parts to come crawling back. Severed links of chain came inching up the rubble slope like caterpillars, winding like snakes through the streets to her silent call-

The stomp was loud enough to put ache in the bones of the onlookers, one of Penny's loose pieces being crushed underfoot like a worm. The semi-conscious weapon writhed mutely while the humans' heads supplied a gut-wrenching squelch, Jin grinding his claws until it stopped moving.

The game halted with the grace of a disconnected server. And it was in the following stillness, the darkness of a suddenly blank screen where their eyes adjusted and saw the other dimly glowing red dots, an army of Jinchῡriki milling about the ruins with the restiveness of vultures.

"**And that, is enough of that."**

Acrid steam seeped up between his toes, the ground melting away as if it were snow that he'd just taken a piss on. Jin took a step forward and the street behind him started to cave in.

"**Neat little trick, but it's been done before. And imitation's never near as good as the original. What you are is a fake… of a fake. You're not even a Durama doll, just a cheap knockoff sold to tourists." **His hatred had been devalued as well, causing him to look at Penny as something frivolous, one of those embarrassingly detailed and scandalously expensive figurines that make visitors blush with their blameless expressions. **"-And frankly, not even worth my scorn. Even if I were to break you down to the smallest bolt and ensure that you remained that way, it wouldn't keep new fools from cropping up. Killing you won't kill the legacy of Uzumaki- besides, can't even kill something that was never alive in the first place…" **

His hatred had broken her down, caused Penny to bow her head and gaze forlornly at her scattered fragments. But with this petty dismissal, her determination solidified. She looked up, the skin on her face had not quite healed and shallow creases made what would erstwhile be a cute frown into something harsh and severe.

"Your Hate sounds very unsatisfying."

"**-Don't knock it 'till you've tried it," **Jin sneered like he'd already taken a bite of her and found it distasteful; **"-Did you even **_**try **_**to do as I told you, understand what it is to hate? You'll never fill in that other eye, Durama, if you can't pluck out this one!"**

The totem of his rage was spinning like a slipped clutch as it bared down on her, squealing, casting noxious fumes and going nowhere.

"**Hatred is part of what it means to be **_**human**_**\- though why you would want to be one, I can't fathom. Look at them! Cowering behind what's left of others who came before and failed! They know victory is impossible, but do you doubt there's any other reason for them to be here if not to see me get taken down a peg or two?" **

Jaune was trying to duck back down behind cover when he was caught by the robot-girl's sterile attention. Stuck in an awkward squat, he was forced to meet her stare with a mix of timidity and temerity, his hand trembling as it curled against the countertop and nails peeling the veneer with a crinkle that could be heard across the no man's land.

Wind slowly blew a tumbleweed across the barren space between them, like a loading screen where both tried to determine what was going on behind the fleshy façade. Fear? Frustration? Defiance? Definitely. Directed to the backs of Grimm, all of whom were purposefully averting their handicapped gazes.

But, Hate?

"**And they have every right to,"** Even Penny could see that there was something wrong, lopsided in the wretched creature's smirk which made it insincere. **"If not now, then sooner or later they will... As soon as this is over, you know I'm going after your bastard 'father', right? He's the one I **_**ought **_**to be pissed at. And doesn't that thought boil your blood- motor oil or whatever? Or maybe you'd be grateful if he were gone. Which is it? Pick something- someone to blame for your travesty of an existence!"**

"Is that what you do?"

It was so quiet that when the world blinked, it was like a clap of thunder.

"_**Kisama… **_**you little, plastic, parrot-lipped-!"**

"-I believe there has been a misunderstanding," Whether or not she understood the insult on his pared lips was irrelevant- she had interrupted him! -stopped the rain of words where most just sought shelter. Penny took a step closer, "I acknowledge that I- my… this body *hic* was designed for an intended purpose," Demonstrated by her ability to look him in the eye and not bow, "However, this was also the path I decided on, the one I _chose._"

Some chose to believe in a God or gods, others found proof in equations like . Out of a world of mathematical equivalencies, Penny had chosen the order of operations which worked for her, the one she found most elegant and… beautiful.

"Father had to justify the resources for my creation to the council, thus, assigned me a purpose. However, he never pressured me to do anything I did not wish. And… I genuinely want to _help _people. Fighting Grimm is simply what I am most well-suited for.

"Furthermore, I do not need antipathy towards you, or even Grimm in general to do this. I am not motivated by a need to alleviate pain of hatred. Rather, satisfaction is a moving target. I find joy in improvement, both to this world and myself. You are correct that I am ignorant, but with each experience I am learning, understanding more about what it is to live.

"Actually, I must thank you. Without your prompting, it is unlikely I would have had such fascinating interactions! I had no idea the scope of an emotion like hatred. From my observations, it seems seldom be confined to simple antagonism. Instead, it is more like… a bacterial culture, where it can have beneficial strains included within pathogens." All this said with a beatific smile, Penny's optimism was fully restored and perhaps even a tad infectious. "…Did that analogy work? Admittedly I need more practice with original creativity. Although, thanks to my studies of hatred, I believe that I now have a satisfactory grasp on a good portion of the spectrum of human emotions."

"**Don't think that will make them accept you,"** Still an exception, the Grimm's façade held something that Penny's still couldn't identify- if, indeed, a Grimm was what Jinchῡriki was. **"-Nor me. We're both monsters but of different circles of hell. Only reason I'm allowing you to walk away is 'cause you're so damned pathetic. But I promise, if you put so much as a detachable toe back into my sight again-"**

"Oh, no, do not worry, I still aim to finish you here and now!" Answering to her sing-song voice, Penny's chains, now mostly restored, flicked up behind her and peeling back the shrouds covering their lasers like cobras. "Despite the difficulty, this confrontation has been most gratifying, not to mention enlightening."

"**I'd almost pity you, if you weren't so annoying." **The lasers' glow cast dark shadows on the Grimm's intent, **"I'll still give you one more chance; walk away now, Durama, and keep that hollow life intact- for a little while longer, at least."**

"Negative," A NOT gate closing irrefutably, "You have already sustained injuries which, regardless of your advanced healing, will slow you down. They also suggest that you are distracted. In conjunction with the data I have collected from the initial skirmish, I am unlikely to encounter a better opportunity."

"You might want to rethink those odds."

Even now Jaune was having second thoughts - not the least of which was his timing. He should have held his dramatic announcement until he was at least halfway. Now he had to cross the entire distance from his cover under the humbling stares of both parties, the combine weight of which caused his sneakers to clomp like wood and his tongue swell.

"Ah-ahem, as I was saying…"

"**What in the hell do you think you are doing, **_**boy**_**?** **Don't you have something better to do with the remainder of your miserable life than to waste it here?"**

Did he, though? Jaune stopped looking for the witty response he'd left behind the counter along with his bravery and listened to the question. It almost sounded like one- an _actual_ question, that is, instead of the usual rhetoric used to erode Jaune's self-confidence.

"**-What about your team, **_**captain**_**? Are you just going to abandon them to indulge in some half-baked heroics?"**

-And shouldn't this sound more sarcastic? Instead, there was something that almost sounded… _earnest_. Jaune hesitated to say what- he hesitated to say anything at all, merely suggesting that Jin cared about someone else was a taboo not to be whispered in the seclusion of his mind.

Yet, there was a phrase knocking around in the back of his mind like a solicitor that refused to go away.

"Those that abandon their comrades are worse than trash…"

"**-What did you say?"**

"I also do not understand," However, it was Jaune the android assassin was staring at with textbook confusion, her spotless face wrung like a handkerchief in delicate hands- he vastly preferred this to the Grimm who looked like he wanted to wring the huntsman's throat. "From what you are saying… you are… _defending_ the Jinchῡriki?"

"Yes," -But really, no. It was mostly covering his own ass; that, and making sure things didn't get any more out of hand. "It's the mission Ozpin gave us."

"**Oh, please! You're nothing but glorified babysitters who can't keep an eye on a toddler, much less-"**

"-I agree, this does not make sense," she had already learned not to let the darkly emotional beast get started, which was better than Jaune could do. "Frankly, I do not understand the headmaster's motivations. Surely, he doesn't think that Jinchῡriki can be controlled. And regardless, it is clear you are underqualified for this task."

"-Hey! Are you calling us weak?!"

It wouldn't do to find common ground with the enemy, and so Jin zippered his laugh behind a toothy smile. Jaune, though, made no such attempt, shamelessly accepting the intervention of his team with a sigh of relief. It didn't relieve him of his sense of guilt, however, being less a leader and more like bait.

"First you steal my character design and then you insult our skills?! Now _**I **_want to kill ya!"

She might have only been exaggerating; sometimes it was hard to tell with Nora. Although, it was clear enough to all of them that despite the visible similarities, the Valkyrie was a breed unto her own. Unlike the callous robot, there was no denying she felt intimidated by the veritable clash of Titans.

But sometimes a girl just needed to break a few legs- even if they healed right after.

"Again, this is highly unlikely-"

"-I think there might be a misunderstanding," The gynoid did not mistake the deliberate repetition, like a secret password shutting off any contention. Patiently she watched the young man work his way to the rest of his team, careful with choosing his words as he was stepping over the debris-strewn battlefield. "You say that it is our duty to eliminate Grimm wherever _feasible_. But we are huntsmen-" "-And women!-" "…_not_ hunters. We are trained to defend life as we know from any threat,

"…Not to go looking for a fight."

Ren looked at her meaningfully and guilt forced the gynoid to avert her eyes- such a shame that she couldn't explore this novel emotion. But she didn't much feel like it, the results of her and the Grimm's selfish fight staring at her like the Jinchῡriki's listless clones.

"…I do not wish to harm you," The assurance sounded hesitant, as if the android were self-aware how little it meant. "However, I cannot speak for the Jinchῡriki."

"**Damnit, I don't need anyone to-"**

"Jin's not a threat!" Confidence quickly gave way to self-consciousness as Nora realized for the first time how silly she sounded. "…I mean, not to us… right now…"

"-But he is," Penny rebounded with the certainty of prior example, recounting Lt. Winter's experiences with the beast, each of which was worse than the last. "He is a Grimm; it is in his nature. His very existence incites conflict on a scale that endangers all intelligent life. Regardless of his own sentience, there is nothing to say that he experiences empathy as we understand it. Therefore, we cannot be guaranteed that he possesses a sense of guilt, nothing preventing him from giving in to baser instincts and harming innocents. Headmaster Ozpin's optimism that he can somehow control or curtail this, is misguided."

"Ozpin's not-!"

"**She's right."**

There were no more halfhearted denials and protests, a complete void of anger which sucked their attention back to the Grimm who gave a pessimistic snort at their surprise.

"**What? You expect me to disagree with the Durama on principle- my principles are that I'm a selfish, stubborn asshole- never pretended to be anything else. But I'm not blind to the truth." **

Though maybe he could turn a blind eye to it, his right eye permanently welded shut with a nasty scar- when had he gotten that? It was so obvious, yet as if they were seeing it for the first time. Maybe they had been under his illusion until now, making excuses for his lack of empathy like that missing eye, and were only now seeing the man behind the abhorrent behavior.

"**I'm a monster. A Grimm. A tiger that doesn't change it's stripes- you'd have better luck teaching a lion to eat tofu." **His expression twisted in disgust; even if he didn't consume humans like other Grimm, it couldn't be said they were certain he wouldn't do it just out of spite. **"And you're killers- call yourselves whatever you will to sooth your egos, it doesn't change that we're enemies. Sure, I'll admit we've had some good times, but those won't last- even if I wanted to. You mortals are so fucking fragile; it's like using fine china for a breakfast set. No matter how careful you are, no matter how much you like that one floral print or need that caffeine fix- accidents happen. Cracks form that can't be plastered over or ignored. Someday I'll fuck up, slip up and drop you or just hold ya a bit too hard…**

"**And you know what? I won't shed a tear. It's that old saying: no sense in crying over curdled milk. That's right, that's all you are to me: consumables. Entertainment with an expiry date. Me and Ms. Plastic-Boots here will still be spittin' at each other long after your bodies' have been bled dry." **

Throats dry at the prospect, they spent a long time contemplating that visceral image- practically a promise, each of their biological clocks ticking away while the seconds spun down in the Grimm's gaze. They would die, one day, one way or another.

"So what?"

'So what?'- so much a miserable excuse like 'why not?' and 'it seemed like a good idea at the time…'

But as time passed and the creature who might have killed for less said nothing, Nora continued.

"I mean, it's not like we didn't know what we were getting into. Okay, so maybe we didn't exactly 'know-know'… you know? Trainin' to be a huntsman when you're a kid is all about the cool weapons and badass moves, saving the Kingdom and battling the monster, blah, blah- but! We were still playing with weapons since like- I dunno, six? Ren'll know- eh, it doesn't matter 'cause we've also had to deal with Grimm _all our lives_! Everyone's known someone whose gotten hurt… or worse. And like you said: accidents happen. Even in spars when you're pulling your punches or using bean-bag rounds- that shit hurts! You slap a bandage on the scraped knee and move on. Sprains, broken bones, sometimes you can even get your feelings hurt… you know that I didn't mean to kick you in the nuts, right, Ren? I _did _say I was sorry, you might not've heard because I was laughin-er, nevermind…

"-Look, my point is that, maybe we underestimated how much more complicated things'd be. Yeah, they do kind of suck at times. And yeah, we still can't get rid of all that hopeful optimism… but so what? We die. Big deal, no use cryin' over it, _right_? If there's no way to win, there's no way to lose either."

"**Nothing's changed; you're still children thinking of this as a game. Think, damn you! I'm giving y'all a chance to extend your deadline. Whatever you hope to accomplish with this 'heroic' intervention will come to naught- all it's doin' is pissin' me off." **

"It doesn't help that you indulge her." While Ren might have been a tad put out with his captain for getting them roped into this mess, the glare he sent the Grimm was downright cross. "You've likely carried this little farce further than it would have gone on its own."

"**Me? Isn't it the King's job to restrain his Queen's flights of fancy and keep her focused on earthly matters- or maybe you're just the **_**consort**_**, in which case you ought to be showing her earthly**_** pleasures?"**_To his displeasure, Jin's double-entendre was not half as effective as he thought it would be. Ren accepted the scandalous accusation as if his waiter brought out his steak _medium _instead of _medium-rare_. And while he was willing to bet the allusion was lost on Nora, she surprised him with a victorious smirk.** "-And anyway, what does it matter if **_**I**_** wile away my hours in delusions? Need I remind you that I don't have a term limit?"**

"Actually, to me, that sounds even worse," Somehow even worse was the twinge of pity that wormed its way into her superior smirk. "Being immortal means that you've got to live with all your mistakes, right? In the end, we just get to laugh about it together whenever we get to where we're going."

"**-Keep it up if you want to get there sooner than expected!"**

Nora relished his reaction with the taste of Bitter-Almond; little surprise that out of life's box of chocolates she'd managed to find the poisonous one. Although, the look on Jin's face said that she might be gobbled up well before she could feel the effects.

"Insinuating bodily harm is one of the most common defensive strategies of an unsubstantiated argument," Summoning this factoid, Penny couldn't guess that the Grimm might see it as a personal attack, "It is the verbal equivalent of a cornered animal baring its teeth."

"**-Shut up, Tin-Can!" **

He snapped like a mousetrap, a mortal coil galvanized and wound-up in the form of a weapon that would never have a choice in its use.

"He has regressed to insults and fragment sentences. Abdication of higher brain function will give way to more animalistic behavior- I highly advise the rest of you to distance yourselves."

"**Argh! It's 'cause you're-!"**

He was losing- the same internal struggle as last time flared up in delirious fever. This much was clear as his right eye burned crimson and the left visibly squirmed under its lid like the feet of a sleepwalker under sheets.

Although, like the last time, the onlookers struggled to understand which side they stood on- or even who the warring factions were. Their careless treading had managed to set off landmines all up and down the front, kicking the hornet's nest and accidentally kicking off the fight that both sides had been itching for.

Whether or not it was the war to end all wars, to the mortals whose lives depended on it, and to the ghosts who would not rest until it was settled, it was the only one that really mattered.

"…**You're dead. I'm gonna kill all of you."**

Dissatisfied, the dead rose up.

"No, you won't."

"**AND WHAT THE HELL MAKES YOU THINK-?!" **

What was a roar became the pathetic mewl of a cat reunited with its over-affectionate owner. The moment he saw her, blind anger was smothered like the cries of a child against a mother's breast.

The Grimm wetted his lips, throat as dry as a desert grave and stomach sunk just as deep.

"…**What makes you so sure I won't?" **

She didn't answer immediately, standing there, swaddled in that ancient blanket like a stillborn infant. She raised her head to look at him in the way that an army hoisted its colors, banishing his hatred.

"I won't let you."

Pyrrha walked towards him- feet practically crawling along the ground with the glacial pace of roots, her green eyes promising to consume Jin with the conviction of a forest. No matter how many times he cut her down she would regrow to take over the world, covering everything he had destroyed and everything humanity had poisoned.

He couldn't let that happen.

Jaune couldn't look away, transfixed by the unexpected return of his teammate. But then he felt something like a sneeze, a premonition that preluded the Grimm's clones disappearing in an all-obscuring smoke.

"-Pyrrha, look out!"

By the time his warning came out no one could see anything- no one but the Grimm with his eye and the gynoid with her supernatural sensors. It was an assault to the senses, the sound of Jin's clones being dispersed like fireworks at a concert. Pyrotechnics and a laser-light show were painted on the background of a fog machine gone haywire.

Amid this mosh-pit Jaune was knocked down while trying to make his way to the front. He couldn't do anything as concussive pounding all around him echoed in his head like a post-party hangover until, at last, it ended.

The live performance was over. Jaune couldn't get up fast enough from the broken bottles and cigarette butts, choking on bile, half anxious and half nervous to know what he'd find.

What he uncovered after knocking the dust from his eyes was halfway between a cheap action movie and an expensive Renaissance painting, and several sobering blinks did nothing to clarify it.

Jin was poised defensively, diffidently staring down one of Penny's chains that was breaths away from plunging into his eye. But no one was breathing. Jin's expression remained cool as the scene was frozen. Pyrrha herself was like a classic statue with all the vibrant paint peeled away, shroud slipping down around her bare, alabaster-colored shoulders. She extended a fragile arm towards the two enemies as if she could bring piece with but a gesture.

Unlike Jaune who felt the world slipping through his splayed fingers, he still believed she could.

But she couldn't hold it and Pyrrha's arm fell like a conductor's baton as the strength she had scraped up burned away. Next to thaw was Penny's chain which trembled before collapsing like a wet noodle on the ground. All her weapons were then slurped back up into the android's knapsack which sealed tight with a snap.

With an almost audible snap, Pyrrha's knees buckled.

Last to break free was Jin. But even he was faster than Jaune, with a lunge, scooping Pyrrha up like a lacrosse player with the ball. The huntsman didn't need the analogy to feel like she'd once again been stolen from him.

"I thought you were going to kill them."

Though as Penny stole the words from his mouth, Jaune couldn't decide whether it was a question or an accusation. Maybe it was an explanation- maybe the android had been the one to knock him out of the way when she saw what was about to happen.

"**Not today."**

As slow as morning was to come, Jin stood, not looking at Penny or the predawn glow behind her. The Grimm cradled the bundle of scratchy wool in the crook of his arm as if she were a cactus and he was afraid to break a single needle- to say nothing of his hide.

"I don't understand." Penny said.

For once, Jaune was not alone. His other teammates were in a similar state, Ren looking like he'd taken Nora down with him to avoid the lashings of scorch-marks that littered the ground by their feet- several had been worryingly close.

"**Clearly," **obviously halfhearted, there was no more hatred in the Grimm's voice- which begged the question, what was left? **"So why don't you scram? Come back when you have more of a clue." **

The heat had left Jin's curses, but exposure over the course of the night had caused his left eyelid to crack open like a pinecone in a forest fire. What lay inside was a seed that would sow doubt into Jaune's mind.

"**Show's over."**

The hall lights were fading in, showing Jin with his mix-matched eyes like a pair of 3D glasses. It was disorienting- the honesty in them, that is. It had to be fake. Special effects, an illusion- something. No one ever wanted to see their actor's without mask or makeup.

"…I agree," Penny declared with the integrity of a clock ringing out the time; five-thirty in the morning, to be precise, just after the darkest hour of the night. "It is obvious to me that I still have a lot to learn. I will not waste your time any longer."

"**Brats!" **Not even sparing them a second glance, Jin barked his command to the remainder of JNPR who jumped like good Pavlovian dogs. **"Time to go home."**

What? Just like that? Jaune couldn't make heads or tails of the exchange as the Grimm turned his back on the android and beckoned to each of them with a tail.

"You mean we get another ride?! Yes, score!"

Nora didn't seem to have any such trouble, throwing caution to the wind and herself to the Grimm's mercy (who nonetheless faithfully caught her).

"Joy…"

Ren was more representative, and probably more genuine about his reluctance to trust the Grimm again after all was said and done.

Yet, he mounted up all the same,

Leaving their leader in the dust. Jaune stood betwixt both sides as they retreated like the crumbling lips of cliffs, not knowing to which he should run.

"-Hey, uh, Penny, right? Wait up!" Jaune knew he had a duty to his team- also, that he wasn't currently fit for it. Joining them now would only add an upset stomach to his churning thoughts. "So… you got like a ride back, transport or something?"

The robotic girl obliged, turning to watch him jog up with a surprisingly warm smile that looked far less unsettling in the mounting light.

"No, I walked."

"Oh…"

Well, that complicated things. Or did it? Leaving no other options but the hard one didn't mean he could turn back.

"I-I was there," Another time when Jaune felt like the audience- like the poor fool standing outside the theater wondering which flick his friends were watching, and in doing so, missing the whole show. "At the hospital. You know, visiting Winter?"

"Were you?" The curious look Penny presented was somehow just as bad as the imagine Jaune had in his mind of Weiss if she ever found out. "Ah, you must have been the other heartbeat I sensed; I thought it was one of the civilian nurses based on its strength."

"W-did you just insult me?"

"Did I?"

"Y-yeah- I mean, no. What I meant was…" Jaune could hear the Grimm laughing in the background but shook it off, knowing that it was just a figment of his masochistic ego. "…I didn't know how bad the Lt. was hurt. I was actually going to ask her for some training- just some pointers, since- I know it's stupid- but I thought that since her sister was helping me out she might be… I don't know…"

"Winter is an excellent instructor," Penny helped him out, though that didn't make it any easier to meet her eyes. Offhand, they reminded Jaune of his partner's, with their depth of green and kindness. Although, while it was cruel to think so, he noticed that the andorid's gaze was a lot clearer. "It is a skill, making difficult topics understandable, and she often teaches at the officer's school."

"Huh, really? I didn't expect that- don't get me wrong, I'm really grateful for Weiss's help. Just that, well, she often doesn't explain things well…"

Not that he was doing any better. He couldn't say why he wasn't afraid of this evidently killer bot, nor what exactly he was looking for.

"Mmhmm, the Lieutenant says it was good practice to teach me," Evidently, Penny had plenty of practice with humility as her smile morphed into a very believable look of shame. "When it comes to certain human emo-*hic*-… esoteric topics, I am a slow learner. She says that in turn, I taught her patience."

"Is that so…?" Agreeing with a wince, Jaune wondered if this was what it was like to talk to him- his friends must have had a lot of patience.

And Penny did as well, waiting ever so expectantly for him to get to the point.

"That whole thing about hate… that was because of _Him_, wasn't it?"

"Indeed," That's right. Jin was the petty god of their world, the avatar of death to whom they could direct their fury. "You seem to be very well acquainted with the Jinchῡriki."

"-I hate him."

And that was probably why he was so comfortable approaching the android despite her first threatening appearance. She was an ally, someone Jaune could commiserate with and perhaps even someday imagine fighting alongside-

"-No, you don't."

"Huh?"

She was so much stronger than him, able to spare Jaune a forgiving smile.

"I do not believe you hate the Jinchῡriki. It is my opinion, based on observations, that by in large, humans do not hate one another as easily as they say.

"Lt. Schnee has a substantially greater justification to hate the Tailed Grimm than I and perhaps even you do. Yet, I got the feeling from talking to her that what she resents most about her current predicament is her inability to protect her comrades. And though he was much sparser with his words, I believe the same is true of General Ironwood.

"Mr. Branwen was far more evasive than the Lt. seems to give him credit for. Any attempt to categorize him would be substantially more speculative… but if I were to 'hazard' a guess, he purposefully distracts himself with alcoholism, both because of the inebriants and because it is an obvious character flaw that prevents him from further introspection… I think."

Jaune noticed that there was no attempt to dissect the headmaster, his intentions being as murky as the cocoa he constantly sipped.

"And finally, in your case, you seem to resent your own superfluous when compared to the Jinchῡriki. He is physically stronger, and you see him as usurping your roll as your team's protector.

"In short, people tend to hate themselves more than anything else."

It felt to Jaune like a personal attack more than anything else- but wasn't that the point? Hate was selfish, turning oneself into a torch with which to burn the world, unable or afraid to elucidate the darkness.

"…At least, this is what I had decided. I am having to rethink my conclusion."

Though rather than be resentful of this conclusion, Penny seemed determined, stimulated by the challenge. Such a coup d'état of their world view for most people would be a crushing blow, but maybe the gynoid in her short life had gotten used to it. If only Jaune could do the same.

"What- was that why you agreed to… give him another chance?"

It only took a blink for the robotic girl to understand, to reverse the statement and decide that it was equivalent.

"Yes, I suppose so," Jaune believed it was the closest he'd seen her come to laughing, but it was still unclear if it was at, or with him. He said as much. "I don't understand." -And he said as little.

"Oh, it's simple," perhaps it was, and Jaune was looking for the imperfection in this angel which didn't exist. If only because she refused to acknowledge it.

"All Hate is, is the inability to love."

He could tell she was proud of her definition, like a scientist showing a panel of judges their latest invention. And as they didn't even know what they were looking at, Jaune felt lost among the implications.

"…Now, however, I am not so sure. Revising my definition of Hate has forced me to also reevaluate my condemnation of Jinchῡriki. While there are still behaviors I do not approve of, this new evidence means that it is no longer impossible for him to coexist with the rest of Remnant."

"**So Glad you think so."**

Any response, coherent or otherwise, was squeezed out of Jaune by the tail which had snuck up and wrapped itself tightly around his waist. Jin yanked him away from the gynoid who was grinning so clearly she must have known what he'd been about to do- was that a prank?

"-In fact, I think that Father might actually like to meet you," The regrown skin on her face was so fresh and tight that it was impossible to tell if she was being tongue-in-cheek. "Naturally, I expect you to be on your best behavior when he arrives at Beacon."

"**Don't worry," **The Grimm was back to his old behavior, cynicism in perfect form.** "I'll make sure your 'Daddy' knows why he deserves my ire before I eviscerate him."**

"Okay," And though she was returned to her factor-default obliviousness, some of Jin's sarcasm might have snuck into her script. "You will, of course, have to wait until he is able to assess and repair Lt. Winter… assuming it is possible."

"**Of course."**

Suspended at eye-level, Jaune could see something else in the Grimm's eye-roll. It was his first real good look at the monster's replacement peeper. Which, the huntsman had to admit, looked surprisingly human, bright and shiny to reflect its newness and none of the old blemishes which marred Jin's mask. It looked out of place- looked right at Jaune with a cold hostility that was every bit as intimidating as the firestorm he was accustomed to.

"**Quit dragging your feet,"** which was a poor figure of speech considering Jaune was dancing in the air like a hangman. **"I'm bored, which means it's time to get lost. And as entertaining as it would be to me to lose you in the wilderness and see how you'd fare, Ozpin would probably make me fill in the paperwork as punishment."**

If that would irritate the Grimm as much as the look of disgust on his face said it would, Jaune might almost say it was worth it.

Almost.

For now he would settle with the mental image (and perhaps allow himself some juvenile humor at how the Grimm would manage to hold a pencil), but the conversation with the surprisingly astute android was taking all of Jaune's processing power to make itself at home.

"… **Besides, this one wouldn't stop mumbling about you in her sleep."**

-Had he actually heard this, or was it another whisper of his addled mind? Jaune looked blinkingly down at his swaddled partner who had a discontent frown on her unconscious face, lips parted with a silent name.

Somehow, Jaune still couldn't believe it was his.

"Come on! Let's go already!"

Somehow, Nora hadn't thrown a fit until now, still squirming in her restrains and wriggling her arms in a mockery of a breaststroke, as if that would get the show moving any faster.

"Bye, friends!"

Jaune wrenched his back trying to throw Penny an awkward wave. The only other one to respond was Jin who sent the gynoid a single-finger salute and several other flailing gestures with his spare tails which managed to look vaguely rude.

However, absence of proof was not proof of absence, and the lack of denial left Penny to walk away into the sunrise with a skip in her step.

Love and Hate were not mutually exclusive, after all.


	20. Breaking the Habit

**Welp. This is it, my friends. **

**The End. **

**Pestilence, Famine, War, Death…**

…

…

…

**Uh? The story? Oh, no. That must go on. No matter what calamities affix us, we can not stop. **

**And no, you can't have my liver; I'm still using it. **

**-But in all seriousness, these be some strange times we're living in. Try to have patience, tenacity, and most of all, empathy for your fellow people. I know, it can be hard. Even, especially with oneself. I know personally that I am one of my worst enemies. I listen to all your criticism, good and bad, and take it to heart, which is why it took me so long to come back to this. One of my reviewers commented (and I'm paraphrasing) that it's unrealistic for everyone to hate Jin.**

**Ha. **

**Have you taken a look outside lately? I've seen such animosity that I want nothing more than to tuck my head in the sand and wait until it all goes away. But I can't.**

_**We **_**can't. **

**Yeah, we'll continue to fuck things up as humans do, repeat history and the same mistakes. Even then, I'll continue to put myself out there, do whatever I personally can to make this a little bit of a better world, hopefully. And, with any leftover luck and energy, after it **_**does**_** get better- because it will. **

**If I have learned one thing from all my mistakes on this earth, it's that the past isn't worth fixing. The only thing we can do is try and push forward. **

**I choose, Sir, never to yield. **

**Have at you!**

**-Oh yeah, and "Happy" '20!**

* * *

"**Too far…"**

And… where exactly did this line lay? Was the point of no regrets before or after the point of no return? Or were they destinations on two separate paths which only sometimes intersect, one cutting across the wrist, the other down?

For that matter, how much was too much? Was it not fair to indulge himself for a life given in sacrifice?

Or had he perhaps bit off more than he could chew with that stolen kiss?

"**Too late to turn back now…"**

* * *

He couldn't believe it.

Which was in itself a little ridiculous, considering the sheer number of incredible happenings Jaune had personally witnessed (survived) since joining Beacon.

But this, this took the cake.

"I… I won?"

"Congratulations," While he sounded anything but sincere, that was probably because Russel Thrush was on the wrong end of this unique situation, sweating the sword which hadn't left his neck. "…Think you could let me up sometime?"

"Oh! Sorry about that…"

Jaune sheathed _Crocea Mors _and graciously offered the other huntsman a hand off the ground, which Russel grudgingly accepted. But he didn't stick around for long after that and disappeared into the shadows of Glynda's classroom, which left Jaune alone in the limelight and stunned silence.

It was decidedly uncomfortable. For as much as he'd dreamed of this day (not even counting the pipedreams of being some super-badass huntsman which had persuaded him into foolishly forging his transcripts and plunging headfirst into this clusterfuck) it wasn't going quite how he imagined. To be fair, the others probably didn't think he could do it, either.

-But Goodwitch too? Seriously?

"Ah- *ahem* well done Mr. Arc,"

Haven help them if the biblically uptight Glynda Goodwitch was too stunned to notice that she was supposed to be teaching. No, no, she probably just had a lot more on her mind than the accomplishment of one student which should have happened _ages _ago.

To be fair, she probably did.

"Very well done. There were a few instances of the match I would like to touch on, but I think we have run out of time to go into detail. Overall, a very satisfactory execution."

It seemed this would be all the praise he would get- which was about as much as anyone _ever _got from Glynda, barring a select few.

A very select, noticeably absent, few.

This observation made it glaringly apparent to Jaune why he wasn't as satisfied as he should be with his progress. For as 'satisfactory' as he'd become as a huntsman, he was still shamefully deficient when it came to being a captain.

"Congratulations Jaune!"

The difference between Ruby and Russel's cheers was marked. She was as excited for him as if it had been her victory. Oh, who was he kidding? Ruby was just the type of person to be overjoyed even had he won against her (unlikely, but stranger things had happened). Jaune doubted whether he would have gotten a better reaction had he finally allowed the girl to install that rail-gun mod to _Crocea Mors _she'd been pestering him about(which, incidentally, _still _wasn't going to happen).

"Thanks, Ruby."

All of which, though, just made him feel worse about it.

"Ow-hey! What-?"

"I heard that."

"H-huh?" Jaune stopped rubbing the back of his head, wondering if he'd managed to say it out loud or if Ruby had somehow gained mind-reading abilities.

"Your tone. This is a happy moment. You're not allowed to disperse yourself!"

"You mean… 'disparage'?"

"Yes, that! And no, you're not allowed to do that!" Seeing that Jaune was focused more on shying away from her militant finger, Ruby tucked it under her folded arms and settled for glaring (pouting) at her friend in admonishment. "We've been over this before, Jaune… what's wrong?"

"I-ah…"

Ah, the ironic duplicity of being honest. They'd agreed some time ago that it would be best to share information between their sister teams, given that their bonds were about as strong as family ties at this point (having seven blood sisters with varying levels of rapport between them, Jaune could confirm this).

But the thing was, Jaune had also promised his partner not to say anything. And at the end of the day, well, it was _his _team, wasn't it?

"-I guess it just hasn't hit me as being real yet, you know?" Jaune knew this was underhanded, all of them having suffered the post-traumatic stress from a situation that just _couldn't _be real. "-What about you guys? I- we were kind of nervous when you said what you'd be doing. But based on your mood, it seems to have gone well?"

Jaune genuinely hoped so, but his aspirations were dashed when the too-honest huntress didn't immediately answer.

"It was… interesting…"

* * *

"_Check-check-check… are we all here?" _

"_For the hundredth time Ruby, yes!" _

"_Careful there, Princess, I hear this stuff's sensitive. Might not be able to handle your magnificent voice."_

"_Sorry Weiss! I just can't help it. It's just so cool, it's like we're spies or something."_

"_Huntresses. We're huntresses. At least, that's what we're __**supposed**__ to be…"_

_Blake was supposed to be pretending that she couldn't hear her team's arguing in her earpiece, but the comedic radio chatter made her nostalgic for something she'd never experienced, let alone thought existed outside of young-adult novels, and the feeling of… friendship brought a smile to her face. _

"_You know, you look a lot better like that."_

_Aaaaannnnd there it went. _

"_Oh come on, what else am I supposed to look at? Show hasn't started yet, and you guys wouldn't let me get hooked up to that fancy gear you got."_

"_And that's exactly the reason __**why**__…" No telling if he'd understand, however. Subtlety, apparently, wasn't Sun Wukong's strong point. Though she'd had plenty of opportunity to figure this out as the Vacuoan huntsman had 'coincidently' stumbled upon their pre-mission strategy meeting and then proceeded to invite himself along. "Look, it wasn't __**my **__choice to include you. And as it is, you're not exactly on Beacon's insurance policy." _

"_Huh? Won't Shade cover any hospital bills, though? They did last time."_

"_Yeah, but this 'fancy gear' is actually worth something."_

"_Ooh, ouch." _

"_That was… surprisingly cold of you."_

"_And __**that's **__coming from the Ice Queen." _

"_Dude, harsh." _

_Unlike her teammates, Blake couldn't exactly tune out Sun's overly dramatic performance of getting pierced in the heart. All this was giving her a splitting headache… how had they not been discovered yet? Her teammates might have been well hidden in the rafters, on the roof and across on an adjacent building, but the two Faunus on the floor weren't exactly John and Jane Doe. _

_Judging by the antlers, they were somewhere in the third row. _

_But this place was also packed, filled with chatter that was as distracted as it was distracting. What was everyone so hyped about? Unlike Sun, they were whispering to one another in closed groups that made it difficult even for her to catch more than snippets at a time. _

"… _he's here? Really?"_

"…_When's it supposed to start? Something special going on or something?"_

"… _what I heard, something big…"_

"… _New guy? Tch. Unless he's the Desert Fox, I don't see how one guy's gonna make a difference in the fight to come…" _

_Even from that little, it didn't sound good. _

_Though it was hardly a secret that Vale's Faunus were at a breaking point. Revolution had been on the table since Blake was still a part of the White Fang, and, one of the reasons she'd left. _

_But here she was again, smack in the middle of it all. _

_What else was new? _

"_Something seems to be happening…"_

_Blake didn't exactly need her captain's scope-side commentary to tell her this, though. The overhead lights had finally started to dim. And while Blake would normally welcome anything that would take attention away from her, the darkness was not the comfort it used to be. No, instead, it only strengthened the foreboding feeling like ice crawling across her skin. _

_Someone was shuffling onto the stage._

"_Good evening, Brothers and Sisters…"_

_No, it couldn't be…_

"_Most of you here already know who I am," Adam Taurus observed without conceit, looking at the crowd as if he were not above them but one amongst their ranks. It was one of the reasons he had gained such a following. "This might be a bit of a surprise, but the reason I am here will soon become apparent. You know of my exploits- my __**commitment **__to the Faunus. You know that if I had more than one life to give, I would __**gladly **__lay it down time and again in place of each and every one of you!" _

_There were murmurs of agreement which sounded almost like prayers against the silence of the curtain call. The performance had just begun, but Adam was already setting up his exit. _

"_Bearing in mind that I would __**never **__betray the Faunus cause, I ask you to remain calm for our… guest."_

_If it had been anyone else, this would have had the exact opposite effect of assuring the crowd. However, it was a testament to the young man's clout that the rush of whispers merely became more excited, impatient to see what their host had brought them. _

_Blake honestly couldn't say she was as anxious. She saw something the others didn't - she __**knew **__Adam better than anyone else here, his tells, his way of talking, all his idiosyncrasies. _

_He had asked them to remain calm, but Adam himself was tense. That alone did not account for the hitched gait he had when on stage, not strutting about like a tragic hero as he was wont to do but fixed, cautions about his steps. Was he hurt? -More than that, was he…_

_Scared? _

_As much as she wanted to ask him, as much as Blake silently wished that he wouldn't leave, Adam backed out of the limelight and into the same darkness which swallowed them. And then,_

_They waited. _

_And waited. _

_What were they waiting for? Whoever was supposed to stand under that spotlight obviously hadn't understood his que- like a certain blond who shifted restively next to her, seemingly immune to the static tension standing all their hairs on end. _

_-Wait. What was that? Just past the cone of light, Blake thought she saw something shift. It was as black as the rest of the cavernous warehouse, but she could still tell that it was big by the way the handcrafted stage creaked and sagged along with that subtle movement. _

_No. Oh, no no no no no no no no-_

_It couldn't be-_

"_**Animals." **_

_The crowd bristled at this loaded word but didn't move as if being held hostage by it._

"_**Beasts."**_

_Intentionally provoking, yet no one took a step forward or back as a decidedly inhuman foot was cast into view. Instead, they seemed to be drawn to it much as the light was to the blackness. _

_Team RWBY had long ago drawn their own conclusions, ever since the first syllable there was but only one thing on their minds._

"_**Monsters." **_

"…_Oh, fuck me."_

_No reaction. Not a twitch nor a stir. What emerged was motionless as a statue as the spotlight seemed absorbed by it. Whispers amongst the crowd speculated whether it was real, yet none dared press closer to find out. It didn't look like any Grimm they had ever seen- more like the costumes in those B-Movies where one could clearly tell there was a human (or Faunus, more likely) underneath all that makeup. _

"'_**They might bear a passing resemblance- but surely, they're not like us, are they?'" **_

_Was… was its mouth moving? Or was that just a trick of the light?_

"'_**-Of course not! Look at them; look at their weird eyes-'"**_

_Amber eyes widened, already seeing where this was going even if the mind hadn't kenned to it yet._

"'_**-Those silly ears-'"**_

_Somewhere ahead of Blake, velvety-soft ears curled in on themselves at the familiar burn. _

"'_**-Disgusting claws, teeth, no good for anything but brutality…'"**_

_Accusations which prickled the Faunus in gathering, latched onto them, drew them further into the darkness. _

"'_**Freaks! They ought to be locked up, put in cages, put down…'"**_

_It was only as the thing on stage stood, unfolded like a praying mantis and crept forward that they could see the shackles it bore, dragging heavy chains behind with links with the same weight as its six tails. _

_And still, no one moved. _

_No one was reassured by the restraints around its wrists. They were props, fake, as much a parody as the ventriloquist's speech which put human words into the mouth of this, this…_

"…_**How many times have you, as Faunus, heard this? How many times have you been written off as something lesser than these so-called 'civilized' beings?" **__For once, not talking down to them, the speech seemed to come from a position of experience, rather than promise. __**"And… how many times have you tried to prove them wrong, prove that you are just as worthy of acknowledgement and affection? But in doing so, bowed down and forced yourself to obey their rules- become nothing but mankind's **_**dogs**_**?!" **_

_A few of the canid Faunus rose to this provocation but were just as quickly cowed by a growl which asserted its dominance so much more effectively than a verbal threat. _

"… _**But you are not dogs- not humans, either. No, no, no, you- **_**we**_** are something so much more than the sum of our parts. Tell me, what do humans have that Faunus do not? What makes them so much more **_**worthy** _**of the crown? Their strength? Civility? Compassion?"**_

_There was the promise of violence as he paced up and down the stage, but Blake could clearly see with her nocturnal eyesight that at the same time, he was being ever so careful._

_She could __**feel **__the people around her already filling in these rhetorical questions, making excuses for the messenger who was more akin to their ideal of the devil than a messiah. Ghastly appearance aside… he couldn't be all that bad, could he? He spoke the language of their plight. Poor thing was probably just… misunderstood, much as they were. _

_By now, all of team RWBY understood what Jin's purpose was here. _

"_**Lies! Lies based on fear! That's how they keep you complacent! Trying to get you to pretend to be something you're not, they have you buying into their lie! You beat yourselves into the mold they hand you, clip your wings and bind your tails just so you fit in- but the truth is you never will. Nothing that you do will **_**ever **_**make you good enough for them!**_

"_**The truth… the reality is that you are **_**better**_** than they are. Fewer in number… but oh, how easily that can all be changed."**_

_As easily as he tore off those forged steel links like they were plastic children's toys. As easily as the crowd accepted this development, this inevitability like they guzzled down his poisonous words. _

_It made Blake sick to her stomach… because she sympathized. _

_But what was worse, what was truly unbelievable about the whole thing was that __**Jin **__of all people empathized- actually __**believed **__what he was spouting, making it that much more potent a drug. _

_It couldn't be, it had to be a hallucination, one of his illusions that he somehow managed to cast over the whole crowd with that one eye which flickered to and froe between them all-_

_He saw her. Of __**course **__he saw her-_

_-Then it was gone, moved on to someone else closer to the front, someone with oddly familiar animal features and modest posture that made her almost unrecognizable in this context-_

_Crap. Crap, crap, crap, crap-_

_What was Velvet doing here?!_

"_**The time is swiftly coming where everyone will have to make a choice," **__there was no avoiding his attention as he loomed at the edge of the stage, crouching so that his pinwheel eye was staring right at the Rabbit Faunus who had been reeled in closer by it. __**"…What will you choose? Will you continue to be men and women disguised as mere dogs?" **_

_He cupped a single, clawed finger under Velvet's chin and forced her to look at him. Did she know him as the thing underneath those robes- recognize the glittering teeth behind that all-too sweet grin?_

"_**Or… will you be wolves, disguised as man?"**_

* * *

Man, that had been… something. 'Interesting' didn't cover the half of it.

It was, unfortunately, not an illusion. Even in their hiding places, the other three members of RWBY all had that uncanny feeling of Jin staring right at them sometime during the performance, clear as day a sign that he _wanted _them to be there.

But why? What did the self-professed, selfish creature gain from allying himself to the Faunus? But of course, he never made them any promises, and stirring this already roiling pot would be right up his alley. In any case, it was… unusual.

Furthermore, why had _Velvet _of all people been in the crowd? Demure, innocent Velvet.

Then again, with how quiet she was, maybe they didn't know the girl nearly as well as they thought. It was said that everyone had their demons.

Team RWBY brought theirs straight to Ozpin (omitting the presence of their fellow student). No reason trying to hide it; the headmaster had been the one to supply them the communication equipment and doubtlessly had a back door to its recordings. No, better to be upfront about it. Too many issues of trust were complicating things, and the one thing they were certain of was that Ozpin of all people would know what Jin might be up to.

If only the same could be said for Jaune. It was also patently obvious that her friend was withholding something troubling. She had seen much the same look cross the headmaster's face just as they were leaving his office. And there as in now, it did not bode well.

But Ruby had to have confidence in both men. Adding to Jaune's worries certainly wouldn't help anything.

Right?

"…We're still not ready for what's coming, are we?"

"Huh? You mean the Vytal festival?"

Jaune's head swung laboriously back and forth, a stark contrast to how light he'd been on his feet in the ring.

"Then, what?"

"I'm- not quite sure."

He still didn't know what exactly had happened back in Mountain Glenn's undercity. Pyrrha wouldn't say anything about it, other than making him promise not to mention it to _anyone_\- including the headmaster- including his fellow captain. Somehow though, he got the feeling Ozpin already had an idea, and Ruby…

Jaune didn't want to get the wrong idea, but his partner had been returned to them minus a few things like her armor… and her as he had done the many times his sisters forgot to close their bedroom doors or forgot to bring a towel into the shower, Jaune graciously ignored it. But he was sure both Nora and Ren had noticed as well, the former going so far as to try and cover up the fact any way she could. Which was almost comical, considering the fact that Pyrrha dwarfed the other huntress.

This was no laughing matter, though his misgivings like a fit of giggles were being bottled up and making him sick to his stomach. His loyalties were being torn in too many directions, and as much as he wanted to do the right thing, Jaune wasn't sure what that was right now.

In the Grimm's world, might made right. And as much as he hated to admit it, this made a certain amount of sense to Jaune. Who worried about consequences if one could just clean the slate with a sweep of a tail? In comparison, no matter how much Jaune improved, he always seemed to be dwarfed by the issues in front of him.

"Well, whatever it is, I'm not worried."

Then there was the indominable little huntress who always managed to squeak through the forces trying to crush her. Where did she get such unwavering confidence that everything would turn out alright when history had so demonstrably proved the opposite?

"I know it'll sound corny but… well, we're not alone, are we? I mean, when you get a photograph of a weapon without someone holding it, you have no idea how big it is, right? Or-or those food boxes where they have someone with really small hands so that the cookies look so large but then they turn out to be disappointingly tiny and you're like 'aww man, what a gyp!'- err, anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say is that when we're alone, it's easy to think of ourselves as not up to the challenge. And on the other hand, the challenges can seem impossibly huge. But other people… our friends, they keep us honest. They see the best in us and in turn, we _want _to be the best we can for them. We're strongest when we're not alone, when we're fighting for someone else."

"_When a person… has something important they want to protect… that's when they can become truly strong."_

Jaune blinked as Ruby's face was cast in negative, cold colors. At the same time, her words were reflected in his mind's eye as if in a mirror made of ice, so far away and distant.

"H-huh…well, I suppose-"

"Could you two keep it down?" Ruby and Jaune looked up as they finally remembered that they had long since moved on from Glynda's class and were, in fact, smack in the middle of their leadership seminar. "Some of us are trying to actually learn … and if you did the same, you might not be sweating the evaluation so much."

That said and with unironic studiousness, Cardin Winchester went back to taking notes on the lecture. His jaw which had healed up months ago was sturdy set, and his nose firmly buried in his work.

What… just what the heck was going on these days?

* * *

"Excuse me, um, you wanted to see me, Headmaster?"

This was what the mysterious text message had conveyed, though the scant words had not mentioned anything other than the time which was to be 'as soon as possible'.

What was this about?

What was it about being called to the Headmaster's office that instilled such irrational fear? Regardless of what trials they had been through, how many times the man himself had decried his fallibility, why did Pyrrha feel as if she were still a freshman at her Junior Huntsman academy?

Maybe it was the question itself, like one of those dreams where there is a test that one forgot to study for or found oneself in the middle of class without clothes.

She really hoped it wasn't anything like that.

"Ah, yes, Ms. Nikos," Ozpin rose to greet her, seemed to rouse out of a deep and troubling consultation with himself. "…How are you doing after the mission? You all seemed rather tired, and at the time I did not wish further exhaust you with the burden of a full report."

Such pleasantries would always have the opposite desired effect, specifically for someone like Pyrrha who had always preferred directness, and _especially_ considering what hadoccurred on said mission.

"Respectfully, Headmaster… what is this really about?"

Ozpin's shock was as short-lived as his distraction, eyebrows raising just a hair before settling onto the matter.

"Yes… yes of course, you are right. We no longer have time to beat around the bush." Coming around his desk, Ozpin detoured and stopped facing out one of the identical window panels- although, perhaps that had been the one they'd crashed through not a week before. Pyrrha couldn't say, the office as unfamiliar to her as the headmaster's current behavior. "Tell me, Ms. Nikos… are you afraid?"

Affronted, more like it. Pyrrha thought that he was finally going to be up front-

"Though I suppose it does not matter, does it? We expect perfection from our heroes, regardless of their personal feelings. I, personally, wanted to give you all more of an opportunity to ease into all this, a chance to be unburdened for just a little while longer. But I suppose that is not the way life ever works, is it? The heroes who are chosen are seldom prepared for the roll they are destined to play, rather, they rise to meet it- or else are thrust into the position without choice."

The spotlight was firmly on her like it had been so many times before. But under this crowd of one, as the headmaster stood to face her and seemed to tower over her with his mere half-a-head gain, Pyrrha knew she was unprepared for what was to come. More than unarmed, she felt naked, _more _naked than she had been, without a personal identity like skin.

"Make no mistake, while it may sound like it… this is _not _a choice. You can either handle it… or you will fail. And failure means losing everything. Not just life, yours or countless others. No, you _will _lose your individuality. If you thought that being 'the Invincible Girl' was hard, this will be a trial unlike anything which you've faced before. This is what it means to be a hero, the true story of being chosen as a Maiden.

"And in exchange, there are no guarantees, no promises of victory, only the power to _maybe _stand up to the threats that are coming and the ones which are already here. As it was in the beginning, I offer the truth, a tool. It is up to you to step forward and use it."

No one moved after that. Confronted with what truly felt like honesty for the first time, Pyrrha was… not relieved. Resigned, perhaps- though wasn't that the same as giving up? Losing what little she considered to be her own? However, how was she expected to be anything else? Heroes didn't sacrifice themselves with a smile on their face, did they? Certainly not with such a slim chance of victory- which in this case, was what, exactly?

As was said though, it never really was a choice, was it?

"However, before we say anything else that cannot be undone," Ozpin interposed with a raised hand, then with it, leading Pyrrha over to the office's elevator in which he revealed a hidden panel. Punching a code into the recessed brass buttons had them lurching downwards faster than the pit already in Pyrrha's stomach.

"There is someone I would like to introduce you."

* * *

"Father! Look who I have brought you!"

More like a mangy stray than a guest, Penny dragged the Grimm Man into the humble restaurant whose few other patrons experienced a simultaneous and inexplicable loss of appetite at the malicious air which accompanied them like a foul odor. Jin was just as powerless with the gynoid's mechanically strong grip wrapped around one of his little fingers like a Chinese Handcuff, forced to bow to her ill-logic and stoop under the cloth awning.

"Jinchῡriki, may I introduce my progenitor, Dr. P-"

"**I know who the hell he is," **Jin bared his teeth with the scraping sound of bowls being refused in disgust. **"I wonder though… do **_**you?" **_

"Now, now, no need to stand in the doorway and block traffic," Beckoning from the small shop's only booth, the old man with hair as long as the noodles and skin weathered as the leather bar stools continued to remain as impervious as his 'daughter'. "Penny, dear, why don't you run along and leave the old men to our reminiscing? I heard rumor that those students you seem so keen on are planning on coming into town later this evening. The 'friendly' thing to do would be to meet them at the Bullhead station, wouldn't you say?"

"Okay!"

While Penny skipped away, eyes as yellow and soft as corn mash watched her go. The way he seemed to know exactly what to say to give them their privacy eliminated what little doubt there was to the man's identity. Not to say that Jin didn't already have some idea…

"As for you, won't you join me?" The man inclined his head at the bench seat across from him and two cups of still steaming green tea- with roasted barely, that smell like rotting flesh tugging at Jin's gums. "I don't bite."

"**That, I doubt," **

But the monster with mouth bigger than his furiously spinning crimson eye still shuffled over, weaving between obstacles in the restaurant's crowded interior as if it weren't fixated on the 'old man'. He sat down in the surprisingly sturdy yet already sagging bench, the table pushed as far as it would go towards the wall yet still barely big enough to fit him.

It was obvious that everything about the situation was tailored to the Grimm, from the restaurant and its very public location to the cups of green tea which were timed perfectly to his arrival and the Spring-not-yet-Summer weather. This would have set any shinobi's alarm bells ringing- if, that was, except for the fact that they were already at a fever pitch.

Such as it was, Jin barely noticed the nigh-incomprehensible mumble from the shop's proprietor as he scribbled down their order, food that would probably be wasted on him, anyway.

"**In any case…" **He had barely sat down, and the old man's smile was getting on his nerves. Claws which had been percussing a drumroll suddenly sunk into the table. **"It's not all the surprising that Durama is **_**your**_** doing."**

Rasping a chuckle, the old man sat back with ever more amusement curling on his brown face like the table's wood laminate. "I don't think that is as much an insult as you might intend; I consider Penny to be one of my greatest works to date."

"**Really? And does Durama even know how many bloody failures precluded her 'success'?- Wait, let me guess: she has no clue just what kind of monster you **_**really**_** are, while Ironwood **_**pretends **_**to not have a clue as long as you only use orphaned Faunus for your experiments- am I right?"**

"Please, Penny is unique, a standalone complex not based on any of my previous… youthful discretions." Though the man had yet to display any true discomfort, he had paused upon that phrase while his eyes flicked over to the corner of the room as if it penned in some inconvenient memory. "That is all in the past. And besides, I am not the one hiding behind the title of 'monster', am I, Naruto-kun? -Oh, wait, I am sorry, you prefer to call yourself 'Jinchῡriki' now, don't you? How amusing…"

He chuckled sickly, a Jaundiced hue invading those kindly eyes.

"**We can't all shed our skin so easily," **It was perhaps the one reason Jin hadn't yet shed his disguise, tore through the flimsy table and the just-as-frail-looking old man on the other side- because for as decrepit as he appeared… **"And never who we are underneath… we've both made it this far, I would've expected you to understand this by now,**

"_**Orochimaru**_**." **

"Oh? So you did finally piece it together…" For a second, the wrinkles on the old man seemed to crack as his smile widened. His eyes, the only thing still resembling the Snake searched for more of a reaction in the cloaked individual. "And yet… you did not try to attack me upon first sight. I dare say you've grown, Naruto-kun!"

"**You'll see how true that is if you keep calling me that." **There was no pressing need. The pressure was already there, chopsticks shattering in people's hands as muscles locked in seizure. **"I'm not sure which pisses me off more- the fact that you think that you can bribe me with ramen, or that you think I give a shit about the lives of these people." **

"Ku, ku! There it is, the infamous Uzumaki temper- tell me, did you enjoy my little homage to Kushina? I can understand why it might have been a tad bit upsetting- but fitting, wouldn't you say?"

"**You **_**bastard…" **_One could practically hear the chains of self-restraint straining, reaching their breaking point and suddenly- **"…You haven't changed a bit, have you?" **

"Now, that's… hardly fair." Face falling along with the tension, Orochimaru- Old Man Poledina- whoever he was these days, clearly had not expected this outcome.

"**Fair? Ha! Since when have **_**you **_**ever cared about that?"**

"Since I became the last shinobi." Lack of a denial filled the table like the absence of food, their still-full cups of tea turning stagnant and cool. That's where Orochimaru found his, taking a sip then letting his spindly fingers rest on the rippled ceramic grooves. "Tell me, Naruto-kun… do you even know what happened afterwards? After you excused yourself and the Bijῡ from the stage?"

No longer understanding what was going on, Naru- _Jin _wasn't even certain who he was dealing with anymore. Something decidedly reptilian reached him- the smell of snake, yes, but also something more. While he was trying to decipher what it was, honest hands with cracks like Wabi-Sabi wrapped around the tea cup for another sip.

"All the world's top shinobi were gone: you, Madara, Sasuke-kun, the Kage mostly wiped out and the S-Ranks gutted. No more Jinchῡriki- no one realized this would be permanent at the time, but I degress, the absence left me virtually unopposed."

Jin would have been a lot more upset at this- Orochimaru was one of the few he considered _worse _than him- yet, the unpretentious, so very _un-_Orochimaru manner in which he recalled the past made him hesitate. Oh, he doubted the Snake was telling the truth, at least, not the whole thing.

"To make a long story short, I conquered the world. And not just the Shinobi, but the Samurai and outer lands as well. It was almost pathetically easy."

The smile which manifested on the old-man's face was almost enough convince Jin once again who was in front of him - nearly drove him to the edge. But it was short lived.

"I ruled for roughly a millennium. I find one loses track of these things after a while, especially after the monotony set in. Time passes in decades instead of days as one springs from one crisis to another- honestly, it becomes rather tedious after a while. Even after the resistances were all crushed and my rule was cemented, it was a constant balancing act. Complacency is the King-killer. And think what you will of me, but one cannot simply rule with an iron fist without inviting rust- rebellion. I was fair… if not kind.

"However, here I will not deny your previous accusations; I did indeed continue with my experiments. Science never stops progressing, you know. There were plenty enough subjects under my reign that I did not have to resort to kidnappings. I always had full prisons to pick from, more than enough criminals who the general public did not give a second thought to once they were declared guilty by what I assume was a fair trial. The colorless mechanics of bureaucracy hold little interest, for me or anyone else…

"I had become undeniably the strongest Shinobi in the world- possibly of all time. I tried to test this, as you might have guessed, with obvious results. Oh, I handily beat Hashirama, Tobirama, Sensei, Minato, the Old Fence Sitter Ōnoki and the others. By far the most satisfying was my old fool of a teammate," Here he paused in his recounting, firmly in the present as he looked at the current 'strongest' this world had to offer. Though not for long, as Jin remained motionless as a stone. "-But I could never summon the "Savior of the World" or the "God-Killer" themselves. Both you and Madara remained out of reach. Little wonder why; It was obvious to me that the Edo-Tensei wouldn't work for either of you. Thus began… well, I guess you could call it my obsession.

"Much like you, I banished myself. Though only to the farthest reaches of what had become of this world, regions so uninhabitable that I had not previously bothered conquering them. I let my empire crumble and my former experiments run wild- after all, what was the point in it? What was the point in anything? I had become immortal, nigh-invincible, had all the time to unlock the secrets of the universe and yet… and yet, and yet, and yet…!"

Yet before he could get to the climax, their food showed up. Bated breath kept the thick smell from announcing its arrival, so it came as a surprise when the trembling old proprietor (realizing the danger, or just rheumatism?) presented them with his craft.

"Ah, excellent!" Orochimaru praised, the old server nodding despite the overriding sense that his customers were like lions thanking the lamb for the meal. He quickly retreated to the kitchen as the Snake separated his chopsticks and gazed longingly into the swampy dish. "It is the small things these days that please me the most- and these are some of the best noodles since that place in Konoha… what was it called again?"

"**Ichiraku." **

"Right, right. Gochishōsama…" Ulterior satisfaction was hidden with the dark broth, the steaming bowl absorbing the old man's attention as he skillfully plucked a piece of pork like a heron catching a fish- like not a day had gone by since he had done the same side-by-side with his teammates and Sensei, being served by a smooth-faced Teuichi. "Mm… it is funny how the details disappear, but the nostalgia remains. Almost like we are setting ourselves up for disappointment… anyway, where was I? Ah, yes,

"The Pit of Despair."

He continued spinning his yarn while swirling noodles around his chopsticks, not spilling a drop. Jin's bowl sat untouched as he watched through the curtain of steam the same way he was trying to see behind the man's lies.

"That is what I called my living quarters-little more than a hole in the ground, really. I sought the ascetic life, ruling and collecting held no more appeal for me. I searched a long time in my exile for meaning to my now-endless existence. I tried all the usual, trivial pursuits: meditating, painting- composing music was perhaps the closest to satisfying, but I digress…

"I was obsessed with _you_, Naruto-kun. After all, what is power without someone to oppose it? I tried to figure out where you had gone, going over that day over and over again in my head for details that I might have missed- memory is so _infuriatingly _fallible. The events kept changing every time I recalled them, truth rewriting itself even as I wrote it down to make sure I had my story straight! It was maddening!"

Overall, he seemed giddy, more like his 'daughter' than the 'mad doctor'. Though every now and then that guileless smile would stretch farther than necessary.

"Eventually… I had to conceded defeat. It became clear that what I was doing wouldn't bring me satisfaction, anyway. For even if I brought you back for one last, epic fight to the death, what would be the point?

"No, no, there _had _to be something more to life, some goal- then it struck me. What is the ultimate power? Destroying is easy, shinobi had been doing it for centuries. Even my experiments were just modifications of pre-existing beings- parodies of Nature's work, not actually creating anything new.

"I returned to the world to find it had changed- I had no idea how much time had gone by, but Chakra had been replaced by this _Aura, _both of which were subservient to technology. This birthed ideas and proved concepts I had never even _imagined. _It was a breath of fresh air- I found that some of my experiments had survived, evolved on their own and formed this sub-species called Faunus. This proved to me that what I sought to do was _possible_.

"I started my mechanical endeavors off small, humble automata based off the White Zetsu with no intelligence of their own. They would serve no basis in Penny's later design, but they served me well enough when I licensed them to the SDC. Their expertise in the novel power-source known as 'Dust' allowed me to skip that part of my research, bringing me ever closer…

"And then, lo and behold! Life! A machine with a soul! Kukukuku! Isn't she _wonderful_? Something from nothing- is there anything more impressive? What better representation of _power _is there than the inception of a spark into barrenness?

"Of course, I had to _test _whether this was life or not. Life is a constant struggle, change. She had to learn things for herself, develop her strength, discover morality, mortality-"

"**So, you sent her after me." **

"It was the obvious choice," Popping a stone-sized egg into his mouth, the man gulped the thing down whole in his eagerness. "The Bijῡ's return implied yours as well. One day reports simply started turning up about these 'Tailed Grimm'. It was almost disappointingly easy after those centuries of searching.

"However, what my spies were telling me didn't quite make sense. Little doubt who the 'Jichῡriki' was… or was there? Crude, irresponsible? Check, and check. A self-professed 'selfish creature', seemingly indifferent towards casualties incurred by his rampaging… This did not sound like Uzumaki Naruto _nor_ Uchiha Madara. No, no, the former too 'happy-go-lucky' and the latter much too proud. Thus, I had to confirm for myself.

"It wasn't hard to figure out Ozpin smuggled you out of Atlas, and then, just a matter of waiting- as if either of us aren't used to that by now! Ku, ku! I thought sending little Penny after you would be… amusing for both of us. And she probably wouldn't be in any _real _danger from 'the Great Redeemer'. But if not…"

Cocking his head as if he'd never considered this possibility before, a frown as deep as the bottom of his bowl weathered his worn face.

"You _have_ changed, haven't you? What happened to that indefatigable little Genin? I must say it is rather… disappointing."

"**Yeah, well, I still don't know what that means." **The full bowl in front of Jin sloshed as he lurched back violently, accordioning the tables stacked up behind as he made to leave without solving anything. **"On the other hand, it's almost a comfort to know that you're still the same psycho you always were." **

"That really is rather hurtful, Naruto-kun." But it didn't seem to bother his appetite as he upended the bowl, guzzling down the broth and licking his lips with an elongate tongue. "In any case, it seems we have both gotten very different things out of immortality. What would Sasuke-kun say about what you have done with his sacrifice?"

"**-The dead don't get to say anything." **

"Now, we both know that is not true."

Deadpan- dead silent now as the two realized their conversation had chased the other patrons away. Noticing the pause in their mostly verbal dual, the store's proprietor looked up from where he was gathering a pile of kindling that used to be a table and knitted his bushy eyebrows into a rather fearsome expression of disapproval.

"…**You're right, ghosts are noisy things." **Ignoring the store owner but cognizant of the low ceiling, Jin stood up and extracted himself from the booth which now more resembled a bird's nest with all the chicks poached. **"But I'll tell you the same thing I told Durama: there's a line ahead of you. I'll get to you soon enough."**

"Yes, I imagine so." Orochimaru remarked, once again with infinite disappointment and yet patience. "It's in the air; war is coming. I noticed even before I landed. But isn't it a little late for a 'final battle'? I daresay you and I no longer need to be enemies, Naruto-kun."

But as if he were already late for another appointment, Jin had already breezed his way to the front where he stopped and flung over his shoulder a few parting words.

"**Oh, and by the way, you left your little sword behind, so I found it a new owner. I think you'd find her… **_**fitting**_** of it."**

And with that, he squeezed himself out the doorway and into the street. The atmosphere he left behind did not clear, remaining disturbed.

"…Why? What is the point in estranging the entire world?" Orochimaru-Poledina was still more bothered by Jin-Naruto's previous declaration than the factoid about his sword. More wrinkles were added to the immortal Sanin's brow as he worried over the ignored message and disregarded meal, the Narutomaki staring back it him with its swirling eye. "Don't you realize… you've already won?"

Although, after he signaled to the decrepit owner to bring him a box for the leftovers and the bill for the damages, Orochimaru turned back to find that the bowl was empty. He blinked his yellow eyes that were as sharp as his face was senescent. Then he threw his head back and gave an unhinged cackle.

"Ku, ku, ku, ku! Yes! The Sharingan, magnificent as always!"

The proprietor took the Lien and the laugh with a grain of salt. Eccentric personalities of huntsmen and huntresses no longer phased him, having served the entire spectrum from mentally disturbed to those that were almost _too _comfortable with their job. These two certainly took first prize, but he imagined that someday even their novelty would wear off.

"…Yet, even more fearsome is the fool who does not know when to give up that which is long gone."

* * *

"No! I can't accept this!"

Yang slammed her fist against the table, even without her gauntlets, cracking the desk as if it were the eggshells everyone seemed to be walking on lately.

"I… I…" Her outburst had caused even her team to shuffle their chairs away from the ticking time bomb, everyone except Nora who inched closer, irrespective of personal space to look over the blonde's shoulder and see what had her so upset. "I… failed?"

"Ha! Who's got the "D's" now, eh?!" The diminutive huntress flaunted her own less-than-stellar midterm, though even shoving it over Yang's paper didn't seem to cover the big, fat "F" on it. "D's for degrees!"

"Actually, Ms. Valkyrie, I hate to rain on your parade, but anything less than a 68% cumulative score in any of your core classes will necessitate repeating the semester." To be fair, Oobleck didn't look too pleased about this himself, and though they were friends, many pitied the man who would have to put up with teaching Nora twice in a row. "…However, given that it took me so long to finish grading these over the break and get them back to, your current standing grade in my class is 67.5%."

"Yeet!"

"I will remind you once again, Ms. Valkyrie as I have Ms. Xiao-Long, not to throw classroom furniture regardless if it is in celebration or catharsis."

"Yeet…"

After making sure the excitable huntress had firmly put all four legs of the chair back on the ground, the doctor turned to his other troubled student who fortunately (surprisingly) had not caused any more damage after her initial outburst.

"As for you, Ms. Xiao-Long, it is not too late in the Semester. However, I have recommended to the headmaster, with his agreement, that it would be best to temporarily suspend your participation in your team's ongoing… mission, in leu of remedial study sessions with yours truly."

"_**WHAT?!" **_

More cracks propagated from the volume alone, and the profess- _doctor's _untamable hair was whisked back as if in a wind tunnel. But the wiry man himself remained unmoved, merely adjusting his glasses which had slipped slightly down his nose.

"If you think I enjoy hijacking your personal time, Ms. Xiao-Long, you are quite mistaken. Truly, my only wish is to see all you youngsters succeed. I would admit it would be far better for both of us if you did so the first time around, but I will not hesitate to reteach the material as many times as necessary to convey the lesson. As I said at the beginning of the semester, those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

Enough time had gone by, half the semester and change, that the little joke had transformed into something decidedly sinister. If not prophetic, considering what they now knew.

"-Now then, Mr. Arc, before you go, if you would be so kind to deliver this to your partner," Ooblek caught Jaune in his hasty retreat, handed him another paper from the sagging stack in his arms. The scarlet "A" on the page was an iron brand to the huntsman who flinched. "Be sure to give Ms. Nikos my best. I hope she feels better soon- and I am not just saying that out of pride for one of Beacon's top students!"

"Yeah, right…"

While it would always sound halfhearted next to the doctor's enthusiasm, Jaune sounded particularly defeatist as he tucked the two graded reports under his arm, tucked tail between legs and slunk out of the classroom. On his way, sending one last backwards glance at team RWBY along with as much good will as he could muster.

Though once in the hallway, Jaune nearly tripped on his shuffling gate, it suddenly becoming a double-time march as he made his way determinedly… somewhere.

"Well… it's not _that _bad," Ruby cautiously patted the air above her sister's back, now extremely self-conscious of the A- she hid behind her own. "I'm sure a couple of after-school sessions'll be all that it will take to get you back on track- it'll probably be all that _Oobleck_ can take of tutoring you, heh, heh, heh…"

Though even as she was saying this, they noticed their perpetually caffeinated professor standing in front of a personal espresso machine that was drooling out something tarry and black into his thermos which looked like it would eat a hole in the floor faster than his impatiently tapping foot.

"-Ruby's right, you know. Grades aren't everything."

This seemingly uncharacteristic comment from Weiss then became their entire focus, at least until Blake pointed out,

"She's just saying that because Ruby got a better score than her."

"-Uh! Ah-w-why you-" with cheeks no less red than the B+ she held against her chest, Weiss protested, "I would _never-"_

Weiss would never admit it, but Yang's sudden chuckle thoroughly creeped her out.

"Thanks guys, but I'm fine, really. Just… well, a little disappointed that I let something like this slip." Her three teammates all tried to look under Yang's shadowed countenance to see if her tight smile would let slip her true feelings. "You guys just focus on tonight. I'll catch up in record time, believe it!"

Maybe it was the saccharine tone, but Yang's bold statement, like the Doctor's, didn't instill them with confidence.

"Um, yeah, sure, of course we will."

Of course, this wasn't true at all. Quite the opposite, as the young leader couldn't help beating herself up on the Bullhead ride over to Vale later that day. While it would have been wise to concentrate on the mission ahead of her, she _should _have seen this issue coming.

Meanwhile, her sister was having an extremely difficult time keeping her eyes open as she sat in Oobleck's classroom, watching the evening shadows drip slowly down the wall. Yang was just barely restraining herself from tossing the heavy history tome through the wall like Jin had done to her, an event that itself felt like ancient history.

"Agh! What the hell is even the _point _of this?!"

There wasn't much of a point in keeping her opinions internalized after Oobleck had excused himself from the room, citing some "teacher's conference" or some such drivel. As long as she didn't cause any physical damage, Yang could rage in the empty classroom all she wanted.

Though all the shouting seemed to do was stoke the feeling of impotence, something she'd gradually learned how to deal with like a chronic pain ever since that first wounding blow to her pride at the beginning of the semester.

But now she was stuck away from her team, her sister. And for what- _by _what? The burden of something so ephemeral and intangible as class standing? What was keeping her from just standing up and walking out, going to vent her frustrations at the gym- or better yet, busting some White-Fang skulls?

If only for the knowledge that once she gave into that temptation, it wouldn't be that much more of a slide to regularly ignoring teachers and skipping classes. Yang might even start to question this whole 'society' thing in general, the unspoken, mutually beneficial agreements which kept the Kingdoms together more than any army or Royal edict.

And why not? Even now, she had a hard time trusting anybody but those closest to her- to say nothing of the headmaster. Although, even then…

Anarchy would always be the end result of that entropic slide; a cold, lonely existence where she could only ever truly depend on herself.

And that, would make her no better than _Him_.

Her forehead slapping the pages was no harsher a sound than that of her fist against the punching bag, the row of desks she had all to herself vibrating along with her groan like the guitar body of her favorite band's lead- why couldn't she even listen to music while forced to do this drudgery?!

That's when Yang heard something.

Whatever- _whoever_, was as quiet as a mouse- and there was hardly any chance of _that,_ as the OCD Overseer of All Things Academic, Glynda Goodwitch, would never tolerate a rodent problem in their 'perfect' school.

Which naturally left the things which Glynda _couldn't _control.

'_Not gonna sneak up on me this time, you bastard!'_

Yang had not taken her resounding defeat lying down. Even now, with her face firmly planted in the book, she was observing, _learning _more than a scholastic setting ever could about what tactics the Grimm-Man leveraged.

He targeted their individual insecurities, singled them out because he knew that in a group, they would cover one another's emotional blind spots. Yang was more than aware how her current predicament would make her ripe pickings for Jin's insidious sophistries, and so, she had to remain vigilant.

It was incredible how light on those clawed feet he could be, floorboards of the auditorium flexing no more than the many times her sister had tried to pull a prank on Yang when she thought the elder was 'napping' in class. Thus, there was no way the Grimm would catch her with her pants down. And unlike Ruby, he would not get away with so little as a noogie.

Well, maybe an _explosive _one.

Though without her gauntlets (and again, why did they have to go unarmed while in a school centered around the constant threat of Grimm?) she was limited in her retaliation. Still, an open-hand rap with the back of her hand would make him think twice about considering her an 'easy' target.

It was almost pathetically easy to lure him in with her performance as an overworked student, keeping her exasperated moan at a constant pitch so that she could distinguish the minute sounds of his approach. Almost unnecessary, as she could sense his looming presence.

"Uuhhhhnnnnnn-Not today!"

Knowing better than to celebrate prematurely, Yang waited until she completed her seated pirouette and felt her knuckles crash firmly against bone before eliciting her shout.

"Ha! Gotcha, Fucker!"

Even then, she was reluctant to congratulate herself until she received more solid confirmation. The very physical-sounding crash into the lecture stands behind her was reassuring, the shadow-draped figure ambling to their feet with a suitable amount of menace.

But something was wrong, so very, very wrong…

"Well, I suppose I deserve that for underestimating you,"

The figure stopped short- was too short- what was with that frown? Where was the sarcasm, the smirk assuring pain? The huntress should have known better than to think she could have gotten off so clean a hit unless he had been equally as distracted as she- _She, _she, she, she- the silhouette more than human, but a _woman_…

"I guess you are no longer a child, Yang."

"…Mom?"

All the color drained from Yang's face as the red highlights of her mother's kimono coagulated from the darkness- god, she was just as Yang remembered her, _dreamed _of her. Although in recent months, that spitting image her own had been replaced by a very different tormentor. But with this return to status quo, Yang honestly wondered which was worse.

"…What are you doing here?"

No reaction, nothing to contradict that cold, cold exterior which made Yang's insides _burn, _made her lose whatever tactical composure she had practiced for her eventual encounter with the Grimm.

"I'm here to take you home."

Yang felt her breath hitch. It had to be- but no, this was not an illusion. The pain which stretched from her throbbing fists to her clenched heart decried it.

"Why? Why _now_?"

After years of searching, she just turns up out of the murkiness to whisk her away. Her mother's expression was unchanged from the photograph which had once sat on their home's mantlepiece. And Raven Branwen's intentions were still as unclear as those adolescent days which had faded into nothing but a nostalgic blur like a child's finger-paint portrait.

It took an age akin to paint drying for her to answer.

"… Tai always believed in Ozpin more than I did. Though I admit, I did trust him… however foolishly."

As much as she wanted to hear this story, hear the reason why her birth giver _abandoned _her, Yang couldn't help taking a step back as her mother descended the amphitheater steps.

"I left you in Tai's care with great reluctance… and a promise." All the things Yang _swore _she'd say to that blood-traitor when she finally caught up suddenly disappeared as her mother came within arm's length. Her hands gripped the edge of the desk behind her to keep them from doing something regrettable… like embracing the woman's excuse. "Tai could raise you; Ozpin could teach you. And in exchange, _neither _of us would be forced to participate in the headmaster's schemes.

"-What is different now is that Ozpin _betrayed _that pact. He exposed you to the truth in such a way that he could control your perception of it, putting you in a no-win situation where the only way to survive was to buy into his optimistic delusions. Whatever détente we had is gone, and now, I am here to take back what is _mine_."

What _should _have been a victory for her, what _should _have been vindication that the woman who gave her life did indeed _care _for that existence, was instead so, so…

"So, what you're sayin' is… Heh. Heh, heh- ha, ha, ha…"

Raven took a step back as her daughter's hand shot up and slapped her own forehead, fingers worming themselves into that wheat-colored hair the way they had imbedded themselves in the desk. Demented laughter rose and dragged her mother's ageless face deeper into a frown.

"Yang…"

"-Oh, man, this is hilarious!" Both hands now tugged at those golden locks as the young woman appeared to be losing it. "You mean to say that _Jin _is the reason my mom's finally come back? Dude, I don't think this could get any more ironic."

"That _Monster _has a name." This was not as much of a surprise as her daughter's apparent familiarity with the Beast. Yet Raven couldn't keep the disdain from her voice the way she had with Ozpin.

"It seems I know more than you do, _Mom_," Said with the same acerbity as was reserved for the beast himself, Yang peeled back the veil of hair to reveal a gaze that was just as smoldering as the Grimm on a bad day. "-You even met him? No? Then why don't you explain to me how you expect to keep me 'safe' from the 'Big Bad Wolf' when you don't seem to know jack-shit!"

Raven merely raised an eyebrow, lauding the experience she had above her daughter.

"That you need to ask me that… it seems that I still know a thing or two you do not."

"-Don't _**Fuck **_with me!"

In response, Yang reached back and heaved the _entire _row of desks at her mother as if it were little more than a pool noodle, deep flex and long arc whipping into the woman as she stood there, stunned.

Raven only managed to draw half the length of her longsword by the time the apex reached her. Her blade cut through the first tabletop as if it were not more than a single sheet of paper, but the chair legs struck her thigh as she braced for impact and was pushed back into the subsequent rows of desks.

They caught her like a series of arrestor cables whereupon she rebounded and finally unsheathed her blade, cutting cleanly through Yang's audacious strike. She did the same as her daughter reversed her swing, chopping away at the improvised weapon as one might a carrot for a stew until all that was left in Yang's hands was a useless nub.

"Aaaggh! Chew on this!"

-At least, that's what Raven though until she tried to bridge the now open space between them. Then her daughter smashed her fist into the last chunk of desk, throwing wood splinters like buckshot at the Branwen.

Her eyes opened wide like the swirling portal that appeared in her path, Raven diving into the purple pond just as the projectiles disappeared into the other side.

Yang heard the patter of debris hit the wall behind her just as she threw up an elbow, almost catching her mother over her shoulder. But it was Raven who caught the blow with her palm, avoiding having her knee popped by Yang's backwards kick and then locking the both of them down with her own leg.

"Hey! You lost your chance for a hug long ago, let me-!"

But it was the edge of a sword which now pressed against her neck, needing next to no force to quell her resistance.

"Now, will you listen to me?" Hearing nothing but a low growl which shook the length of her sword like a piano string, Raven continued, "I will admit, you are more tenacious than I would have thought, given your instruct-"

The back of Yang's skull struck Raven's nose, a spike of uncurtailable pain shooting straight up into her head like a lobotomy and allowing Yang to get free. She managed to untangle their legs, diving clear while Raven tripped backwards on her own hold.

"Like that? Taught myself that one."

Wiping away her involuntary tears, Raven reached up with her free hand and readjusted her nose with an insensitive crack.

"Actually, you learned that from Tai." She corrected, stood up with the help of her sword. When Raven's face came level, it was with a slight upturn of the lips. "And where do you think he got such underhanded tactics from? Honest, straightforward, Tai?"

"Don't pretend like you've been a part of my life all along! Don't pretend like you know me!"

_Don't pretend that I'm like you!_

"Oh, but dear daughter, we both know that's not true," As much as she knew what was left unspoken, Raven drew upon Yang with her sword out to the side and the knowledge that she was in complete control. "I was there for many of your important milestones. Not as many as I should have or wanted to be, I admit. But such were the conditions of the deal that I could only watch from the background. And even then, it was only because of the _compassion_ of certain parties to bend the rules.

"… Right, Qrow?"

There was a clear family resemblance in the nature of their frowns, the way Yang's uncle slid from the shadows like tangled bedsheets after a drunken slumber- in fact, the most disconcerting aspect of the whole thing seemed to be the man's stone-cold sobriety.

"Uncle Qrow? What are you doing here? What the hell's going on?!"

"Hey, Champ," He greeted absently, almost like he was still asleep except for the way he was staring unblinkingly at his sister. "Wish I could say this little family reunion is a pleasant surprise, but…"

"You see, Yang?" Yang saw her mother's snide expression, the deep frown like the wrinkled folds of that polaroid she kept in her jacket pocket. And even though it was a near carbon copy of her own image, her daughter couldn't help but think how _ugly _it looked. "Ozpin has been conducting your lives since the moment you were conceived- before, even. It has all been orchestrated, every chance encounter and coincidence. Qrow is just one of several of Ozpin's agents- his obedient lap dogs. I'm willing to bet he was keeping watch every time you crossed paths with _Jin_."

"Eh, you're giving me a bit too much credit," Qrow rubbed the stubble on his upper lip with the same ease that he waved off the on-the-nose remark. "Guy's got a pretty good nose and I know better by now than to think I can spy on him."

"-You're not even going to try and deny the other accusations, though?"

Yang had desperately resisted asking this for the very reason that her uncle now gave an unconcerned shrug- one so very much like the uncaring Grimm.

"Who knows what Ozpin gets up to in his free time? And as far as my guilt… well, that ain't the worst of it."

Yang knew she was in a bad situation even before her uncle started reaching for the sword handle over his shoulder. The relationship between her mother and her brother was… complicated, to say the least.

Things got even more confusing when she heard her mother cry out- not a shout of battle though, but one with pain equal to the betrayal of her kin. Qrow's callous expression gave nothing away, so when Yang whipped around to see what had befallen the one who had birthed her, she was shocked to see,

"Professor Oobleck?!"

"Bastard!"

Not bothering to correct either woman, the good doctor was busy avoiding the woman's retaliatory slash which just grazed his neck as he backed away. At the same time, he didn't look particularly happy nor even proud of his accomplishment. Around Raven's own neck was now a donut collar, filled with arcane technology that glowed ominously blue and seemed to burn her like napalm.

"There. That should keep her from using her teleportation Semblance." The light from the collar illuminated the man's expression, blank as the chalkboard in that dark classroom. "Ms. Branwen… Raven, I advise you not to put up any more resistance… please."

"Like Hell-!"

Protest was squeezed out of her when around the room, the desks' shattered remains coalesced into a prison like a tumbleweed around the woman.

"If you don't want to listen to Bartholomew, I'd remind you how much I _hate _it when people cause a mess."

Just as Yang thought the situation couldn't have gotten any more horrifying, the hellish silhouette of a no-nonsense Glynda Goodwitch materialized like her trap. Opposite to her came Professor Port, whose overall quietness was almost as surprising as the rest of this-clearly planned- encounter.

"What's everyone doing here- what's happening? Someone please, _tell_ me…"

None of their callous expressions were directed at her. No one was deigning to talk to Yang, either, until a cruel chuckle came from the bottom of the pyre in the middle of the room.

"So, you stoop to use a student as bait- your own niece? And you call me heartless."

"You would have come after her, anyway." Qrow justified, though without breaking the staring contest with his sister or his grip on his sword. "For that same reason, you should understand why Ozpin can't afford to have you runnin' around on your own anymore."

Already with the weight piled atop her, Raven nodded lowly.

"Such is the fate of Maidens… the life of a martyr I never wanted for my daughter."

"Uncle Qrow-!"

Then the wood pile exploded like a porcupine shooting its quills; while the teachers all moved to defend themselves, her uncle unfolded his sword and placed both it and his body between Yang and the oncoming wall of shrapnel.

"Yang! Stay back, this-!"

"-Sorry Qrow, but this is _my _fight." Even with many years more fighting experience than his niece, the huntsman was still susceptible to Yang's sucker-punch to his gut, falling to his knees and only able to reach a shaking hand as she stepped over him. "And if you're not going to answer me, I'm going to get my own."

Yang moved unwaveringly towards her mother whose desperate, frenzied sword-swings kept the other teachers at bay.

"Xiao-Long! What do you think you are do-?!"

"Shut up!"

Raven didn't bother trying to dissuade her daughter with words, instead, snapping at her like a mad dog with her Ō-katana as soon as Yang got within range. But something even more primal stayed her hand as Yang declined to back off, her strike missing by the breadth of one of those fine, yellow hairs. A split-second hesitation allowed Yang to get her hands on her mother, on the collar around her neck. Her mother went stiff, like the other adults in the room, allowing Yang to focus on forcing the collar open.

Whether or not their lives had been orchestrated until now didn't matter, for likely no one could have predicted that Yang's obsessive weight-training regime would actually pay off. Brute strength, veins bulging in her neck were reflected in her mother's ruby-red eyes as she pulled on either side of the single-piece restraint that was designed to resist such forcible removal.

It held up for an admirable fifteen seconds, five seconds fewer than it took for the teachers to finally react to the shattered remains of carbon fiber and titanium hitting the floor.

"X-Xiao-Long!" Glynda sputtered- a sight Yang would have relished except for being doubled over in exertion, "You- detenti- no, I ought to _suspend_ you-!"

Punishment would be suspended as Raven moved to cut this Parent-Teacher conference short. All it took was a short jab to Yang's bellowing gut. Her daughter's eyes bulged- she hadn't predicted this; near-sighted planning being a double-edged sword as brutal as the butt of Raven's sheath.

Her mother was much gentler with her 'love-tap' than Yang herself had been with her uncle. But Raven was no less determined in her movement, dragging her heaving daughter towards a portal that she had spawned the instant she felt the field around her Aura break.

No oxygen meant that for all her muscle, Yang was helpless as she'd been as a baby. Only this time, it was her mother reaching out for her as she disappeared, taking them both away from the life she had known up until that point.

-No! While she still wanted answers, Yang had decided a while ago that the surety of her friends was worth more. She wouldn't let her mother- this strange woman- dictate her life anymore.

Planting her feet, Yang tried to pull back in that fleshy tug-of-war but felt herself slip on the floorboards worn smooth by Glynda's compulsive cleaning. Her mother turned to look at her, renewing Yang's determination with her mean expression.

It was a look which just as quickly became one of surprise in a flash- a spray of blood.

Yang watched her mirror image fall apart, Raven falling backwards into her gaping portal with mouth open wide, only to be replaced by another face that Yang vaguely recognized.

Incongruous as her bicolored hair, Neapolitan smirked two-facedly at Yang. She flashed her a wink that gleamed as devilishly as her shiny new sword. And then she too disappeared along with Raven, leaving Yang behind as the link pulling her in was severed like an umbilical cord.

The portal winked out of existence and Yang fell backwards onto her rear.

"W-what-?" She gasped, breath only now coming back while everything else remained totally confused.

"Shit," Qrow swore as he too had only just limped over to the scene. Glancing down at his niece, the disapproval which had been on his grizzled lips turned into- "Oh, fuck."

"What?" Now looking at her uncle looking at her, Yang saw his face undergo the same bottom-dropping-out transformation that had befallen his sister just moments ago. She felt her gut sink at the same time she noticed a weight in her lap and the eyes of the rest of the room on her. "Okay, I know I screwed up, but why is everyone looking at me-?"

Finally seeing for herself, Yang looked down at the feeling of something still wrapped around her wrist.

At her mother's severed arm in her lap.

* * *

Adam Taurus wasn't scared.

Nor, really was he all that surprised.

Oh no, no, no, no, no, no-

He was _pissed_.

"-That mongrel, that _Monster _thinks he can just come in and usurp all that I've worked for-"

With humor as black as the pot or kettle, the White Fang commander paced around his hideout, each limping step reminding him of his first encounter with the beast known as Jin and inciting him to take another. He needed to take _some _kind of action against this coup, lest he end up like either of the White Fang's previous leaders.

"Preachin' to the choir, my dear boy."

Roman Torchwick didn't so much as flinch as Adam turned his frothing glare on him, simply lighting another one of his cigars as was his habit whenever he himself was feeling nervous… or confident, for that matter.

"Naw, but really, I feel for you Faunus, you know? Wasn't exactly well-off myself growing up, but I can only imagine how it must've been for you lot," though it would only ever be in the manner of stuffed-shirt theologians, relaxing in their comfy armchairs the way Roman draped himself over the haggard sofa and watched his smoke rings spread themselves thinner and thinner until they vanished. "We're both underdogs in our own way."

"-Don't compare me to the likes of you, _Scum_," Adam snarled, stalked up to the unconcerned Torchwick. "What have you ever done in your life that was not for your own benefit? You're lucky- you don't _deserve _to be so lucky-"

"Ah! But isn't that the point of it exactly?" Roman began lecturing the young rebel with his cigar, sitting up and jabbing the lit end at Adam as if he could snuff out the boy's face like a photograph. "Nothing _I _do matters; I exist because of people like you. You need _scum _like me to compare to, to put other, more… _dangerous _people in perspective.

"-And don't get me wrong; I am _ever _so grateful. Principles are wonderful things for someone else to have. A bit tiresome to live with yourself, but, hey, they keep people like _me _in business no matter who wins! The lesser of two evils always squeaks through as the middleman." Chomping the cigar down in his grin, Roman weighted his hands on either side, "Isn't that why you accepted my offer in the first place?"

"Don't think I trust you as far as I can throw you."

"Bwa, ha, ha! Oh, my dear boy, while I am certain you could still punt me into the next Kingdom with that bum leg of yours, I'd never expect you to actually _trust _me." Passing his smoke to his right hand, Roman skipped up and tossed his left over his ally's shoulder, ignoring that Taurus's own hands were drifting to the sword on his waist. "It's one of my most endearing qualities, after all. Remember that you can _always_ trust a dishonest man to be dishonest."

Suddenly appearing disconcerted, though, made Adam think twice about cutting down Roman where he stood. Ginger pulled his fellow redhead in closer as if to whisper something even more conspiring than what they were already set upon.

"Honest folks, on the other hand-" He moved to take a drag but stopped, the smoke trailing off like his train of thought. Time piled up as ash at the end of his stogie and there was a tobacco glow in his eyes. "Honestly… not sure I've ever met one. Huh."

"-Then, get off me!"

No longer enraptured, Adam elbowed the flagrant criminal in his ribs and ducked out underneath his arm.

"Nothing you've said or done so far has instilled any amount of confidence. _Where _is the contact you promised? I ought to treat this as a trap, cut your head off and present it to that Fall woman to prove my loyalty. At least if I were to bank on her, I would be guaranteed some amount of support against that Grimm."

"Tsk, tsk. Did no one ever teach you patience? That, and I would have thought prepping for your position in the White Fang would have given you _some _insight." Roman still did not look particularly nervous as he paced the cramped hideout, but the accordion of ash drooping from his lips told a different story. "You think Cinder's likely to believe someone like you professing 'loyalty'? Furthermore, you think Cinder believes _herself? _Maybe she honestly thinks she can take on Mr. Skull-and-Bones, but no one else does. Not until she finds what she's looking for at Beacon, anyway."

"And pray tell, what is it she is looking for, exactly?"

"I-"

"I can answer that."

Roman nearly sucked in the butt of his cigar as Adam drew his sword.

"You-" Adam turned his anger from the intruder to Torchwick, knowing he would have no chance against the former, "You traitor!"

"Now, now. Roman couldn't exactly tell you who you would be meeting, now could he?" Still unable to do anything but cough, the newcomer strolled confidently over and began thumping the criminal's back until the last grayish wad of ash had been dislodged from his throat. "There we go… you never would have agreed to come had you known who his contact was, right, Mr. Taurus?"

Unable to talk for a different reason, Adam merely nodded as much as his tensed muscles would allow. As much as he would continue to deny he was frightened, Adam was… on edge.

"However, I can guarantee it is in the best interest of all parties if we can come to an agreement."

This promise was not as comforting as it might have appeared, and Adam eventually realized why as the seemingly useless conversation he'd just had with Torchwick came to mind. For while most people wanted to believe in that halcyon smile, trust in the beneficent public image he had cultivated over decades, this was, after all,

Ozpin: the Great _and _Terrible.

"Why don't we all have a seat? I promise, I don't _bite_."

True.

But there were worse things.

* * *

Jaune didn't see how things could get worse.

Although to be fair, he never did.

"It's not fair."

No, it really wasn't. Though he should have known this since growing up as the middle (male) child of a matriarchal family. By the time he was ready to make a name for himself, his sisters had already set the bar higher than an Olympic pole vaulter (actually, his second-oldest sibling was an internationally recognized marathon runner and the one immediately younger than him a professional ballerina, but that was neither here nor there).

By the time Jaune had worked up the courage to confront his partner, she was no longer there.

For the past week Pyrrha had hardly left their dorm, even taking her meals separate from her team. The behavior was even more disturbing than it was hurtful, and so none of them had tired talking to her about it. Yet, when Jaune had finally composed himself enough to ask her, formulated the conversation in his head to the point where he felt- if not comfortable nor confident then _able _to talk to her- she was gone.

With nothing there to support him, Jaune practically fell into the dark, empty dorm room. He stumbled over to the beds and collapsed face-down on one- devoid of occupants or care, it didn't really matter which.

Though this wasn't exactly true, as the all-too familiar scent slapped him in the face. Jaune could practically feel the absent warmth, the profiled outline of his partner in the mattress that he knew he could never fill. He groaned and rolled out of Pyrrha's bed, onto the floor which was a much more suitable place for wallowing in self-pity.

"Ow,"

Something landed on top of him, softer and lighter than the floorboards but no less obnoxious. Like a frozen pea at the bottom of a stack of mattresses, it eventually got to him. Jaune lifted himself out of his ennui, sat up and saw the dish-shaped object roll off his back and onto the ground.

He didn't need the overhead lights to recognize Jin's hat. Or was it Pyrrha's now? The thing had sat unobtrusively on her bedpost since before they'd even started classes, and yet he'd seldom noticed it until now, scarcely bothered by it.

Until now.

Now his hands trembled- clenched and spasmed in _rage _as he reached out to put the hat where it belonged. He stopped short of touching it, knowing that he would tear right through the wicker if allowed. He would rip the thing apart, stomp it to a pulp, not caring if the act were juvenile.

It was, however, not his.

Was he… jealous? _Envious_?

Maybe. But of what? Jin's strength? His confidence? His control over them, or his ownership of Jaune's partner? Remembering his conversation with that doll-like girl, Jaune decided that no, he did not _hate _the Grimm. He just…

Jaune realized that he was bleeding, fingernails digging past his Aura into his palms. Erstwhile he would have been proud of this newfound strength, instead he cursed his stupidity as he dribbled blood onto the hat. It didn't even have the decency to land on the red sections where it would be less visible, instead staining the white and adding some extra strokes to the pictogram of 'fire'.

"Damnit!"

Jaune leapt up and made for the bathroom, hoping to get a moist towel and clean it up before it set.

But the moment he set his feet on the floor his stomach began to burn. His blood started to boil- almost literally feeling like he was on fire. Delirious as any fever, he pitched over and Jaune's head slammed against the floor. A new cut opened up on his brow that bled into the cracks the way the rest of his essence filled in the lines of arcane seals layered beneath the hat's silk cover.

"Unnngghh, why is this happening to me?"

Jaune moaned, struggled to get his knees underneath him and into his gut which felt so _full _despite the fact that he'd missed both lunch and now probably dinner. This was worse than any flu he'd ever experienced, like food poisoning for his entire body as it shuddered and trembled trying to rid itself of whatever was pushing into him, filling, invading…

The pain retreated all of a sudden, and Jaune found himself not in the darkness of the dorm but the sparkling blindness of a migraine, which was almost preferable to the emptiness he'd find if he were to open his eyes.

'_**How long are you just going to lie there in that disgusting self-pity?'**_

-And there it was: the universe again contradicting him.

"Ungh, just… leave me alone," He must have done something awful in a previous life to warrant it- that was the only explanation Jaune could imagine for why he was so often the target of misfortune. "Seriously, what did I ever do to deserve this?"

'_**Deserve? HA! Life doesn't work like that, kid. It's all about luck, whatever deck fate hands you. You can either play with it or-"**_

"Shut up!"

Jaune was exhausted, but more than that, tired of listening to-

Nothing. There was still no one in the room with him when he went to sit up, looked all around just to see that not even the windows were cracked to let in a breeze.

"Alright. Alright, I'm going crazy now." First it was control of his team and now himself- it felt like Jaune was losing things bit by bit, holding his head in his hands to keep from falling apart entirely. "That's… great. That's just fucking perfect."

'_**-Losing is something you can ill-afford, boy. Least of all your head.'**_

It wasn't enough for the world to kick him while he was down; Jaune had to do it himself. Ruby was right- What would she say about this?

'_**Get up, gaki. We have work to do.'**_

… Maybe not quite, but…

Something wasn't quite right in general. The more he listened to it, the less the voice reminded him of Jin. Sure, there was a passing similarity- so much that he could imagine the toothy grin and sharp face staring down at him. However…

"Who… who are you?"

Nothing. No one. It was gone.

Air left his lungs as Jaune heaved a sigh. If only he could confront his other problems so easily. If only he had-

'… _**I hear you're looking for a partner?"**_

* * *

**PS: I haven't been idle all these months; if you want something even more in line with the current 'cheer and hopefulness', check out No Man's Land, which is my take of RWBY flung into the First World War (And for that matter, read some damned history so people like me don't pull our hair out). Yes, I'm plugging my own story. Shut up.  
**


	21. Black Friday Rule

**Wow. 2020, huh? **

**Seriously though, I joke a lot, but I really do feel like I'm losing touch with reality. Either that, or the world is pulling itself away into a black hole and this feeling of disconnect is just my self-preservation trying to detach myself from the event horizon before it's all too late. **

**All relative, I suppose. **

**As pointless as this story is to all but a handful of us on this blue ball (and maybe some extraterrestrials, I don't discriminate), life seems equally pointless and dismal. Thus, I promise you that I will try my best to see it to its conclusion (hopefully the latter comes before the former). **

**I HAVE been working on this for roughly two months now, and probably some of that is evident based on current events happening in the United Sates. However, I will also mention that quite a bit of my inspiration also comes from history, and I actually began thinking about the events in this chapter well before any of the Black Lives Matter (where I am, BLM means the Bureau of Land Management, so I shy away from acronyms) movements. **

**Here is a hint and a reference, for anyone who gets it:**

_**First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—  
Because I was not a socialist. **_

_**Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—  
Because I was not a trade unionist. **_

_**Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—  
Because I was not a Jew. **_

_**Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me. **_

… **So, in this current climate of hate and heat, let's all try to be a bit more chill, and more importantly,**

**Be kind.**

**My thanks to all those who have supported me throughout this twisted journey. You help me get through not just writing, but my day to day. **

**Gracias, Merci, ありがとうございます, Спасибо, Danke, obrigado, **

**Thanks.**

* * *

'… _**What happened is that we died. We slept. **_

'_**And as we slept, the world we left behind woke up.'**_

What was left of the day went by swiftly as Jaune listened to this millennial being recount a story that was as old as time itself. And which, if true, meant that everything they knew about the Grimm was wrong.

'_**If true, it would have been worth the sacrifice. But knowing what I do now… I wonder which of us is still asleep…**_

'_**A dream turned nightmare. In any case, our victory was tainted from the start. It was too easy. There is no such thing as 'happily ever after', the only things which are immortal in history are the mistakes.'**_

Although… there _were _those that knew, weren't there? Team RWBY, his partner- was that the reason she wasn't here? Was Jaune truly alone in ignorance?

'_**And that stain lingers to this day, like the dissatisfaction of vengeance. I should know, I have carried my fair share of bitterness. For years I blamed all humans for Madara's actions. And then for the longest time, I tried to convince myself it was that Plant-Man who had corrupted all we had worked for in the eleventh hour.' **_

After so many hours the huntsman was rooted to the floor, back straight as he became a vessel for ideas to grow straight to the sky. It would take him several lifetimes to absorb everything he was being told. Yet at the same time, it fit ever so nicely into what had already been laid down in front of him and to the conclusions he had come to on his own.

'_**I suppose it is finally time for me to admit the truth. The real disaster of that day, the reason it all went wrong…' **_

No- Jaune wasn't ready to hear this. It wasn't his responsibility- right?

'_**He… gave up.' **_

It would be so much easier if Jaune could just do the same, resign himself to the fact that this world would never make sense and nothing in it would ever be fair. Give up ever trying to matter in it.

But life just wouldn't let him do that.

"-But… why _me?_"

Another taciturn silence. Though by now, Jaune was no longer fooled into thinking that the voice had left him alone.

'_**I hesitated. I didn't put all of my effort into that 'Final Solution' of His. I still wonder whether it was the right choice, if my contribution would have made a difference. While now, I feel it was the right choice, that still does not assuage the overbearing guilt…**_

'_**No. It doesn't matter. The only result is that because I didn't expend all my energy into that Tailed Beast Bomb to destroy the Moon, I revived sooner than my siblings. And then for an incalculable time afterwards I wandered the Earth, alone. Hardly anything was left after the battle, even after centuries the land was still so blighted that scarcely any plants grew. What remained of humanity had been driven into caves and burrows much as the first rodent-like mammals in the times before the Sage. **_

'_**However, I should have known that it would not stay that way. Life is pervasive, tenacious- this very trait in humans at one time I both hated and admired, though never denied. **_

'_**The survivors eventually trickled down from the mountainous ramparts like the snowmelt in Spring, starting in what I believe was once the Land of Demons- Ironic, isn't it? But maybe irony is just another word for fate… He did always hate that word, being touted as a Child of Prophecy. But I believe coincidence only goes so far.**_

'_**I did not approach humanity's remnants right away; I had learned my lesson centuries before and knew that these survivors would no doubt be just as afraid. I was afraid I would ruin my chance; but at the same time, I was as impatient as ever. By that time, the seclusion was getting to me.**_

'_**But we are never in isolation, are we? As much as I did not want to get involved in mortal squabbles… there is a human saying; if one does not fight for their belief, they risk dying for someone else's. And above all, I did not want to be used as a tool again. No, I had to be the one to set the tone.**_

'_**And, well… they took it better than expected. Someone else had set the foundation for my arrival, and these humans worshipped me as a deity, a force of nature. Stories of the Bijῡ and our ultimate cooperation with humanity had been survived throughout the bloodline.**_

'_**And speaking of blood… they were all blonde. It was too much to hope for and like Him, I did not wish to believe it fate. Rather, a compilation of chance, the way humans come together with one another and produce something new…**_

'_**Hope. I was by that time so tired of searching for some scrap of hope that I was willing to do something desperate- I had begun to empathize with his foolish martyrdom, and so I knew that it was time to rest.**_

'_**Fuinjutsu- the Art and Science of Sealing- survived but in a few senescent practitioners and even more ancient manuscripts. Though with my own… experience, not to mention cooperation, this was enough to construct an array that would hold my power. The humans and I agreed on a suitable vessel to be my host, sealed me away, and then…well, once again,**_

'_**I slept. **_

'_**As expected, mankind did not rest on their laurels. There was innovation, expansion, wars- ever such wearisome things! I would not be a pawn in them again! **_

'_**However, my simple presence made the humans I had allied with redoubtable warriors, endowing them with superior speed, strength, longevity. It was inevitable; None of His lineage would ever be content so long as there was injustice to correct. **_

'_**And so it went. In the tradition of Mito Uzumaki, I was passed down from generation to generation in the females because their bodies are more resilient, more able to accommodate the addition of a second soul later in life. Though I was asleep through most of it, I assume this led to a more matriarchal bloodline. The females' genetics would naturally be enhanced by my latent Chakra- not to mention the Uzumaki blood- and they would outlast their male counterparts.**_

'_**The rest is, as they say, history.'**_

As quiet as the history class when Oobleck really got into his lecture mode and half the students were rendered unconscious by his incessant prattling. Jaune, though, was hardly asleep. Tired, by all means, but kept invigorated by this endless stream of info like the illegal White Dust that made the rounds in Vale's seedier districts.

"So… I have a Tailed Grimm… inside of my stomach?"

Jaune could feel the disembodied eye-roll as clearly as if Jin himself was standing in front of him.

'_**Yeah… you're **__**His**__** descendant alright.' **_

Now Jaune got the distinct feeling he should be offended; the sensation was as palpable as the previous was disturbing.

"-Wait, how come I never knew about this? And if my parents knew, why wouldn't they tell me? -And this _still _doesn't answer the question of, why _me?_"

'_**Sa na…Who knows? For as much as we want to blame someone, it could be they just forgot- either to tell you, or that I even existed. Remember, I kept quiet, so I bet that my previous Hosts hardly even noticed my presence. Tradition always seems to rule over reason, so your family might have kept up the sealing practice even after it outlived its original purpose.'**_

Come to think of it… Jaune recalled the odd 'baptism' of his baby sisters; though he was just a toddler himself, he remembered questioning why it was so strange, why it was necessary to hurt the baby and take its blood. He thought it was mean.

Turns out, it was far worse.

'_**As for you, specifically? You'd have to ask your folks. Perhaps after so many generations of female-dominant birth, a male child was viewed as a sign. You do sort of resemble him… in an effeminate, frail sort of way.' **_

"Gee, thanks. That really makes me feel a lot better about all this."

'_**Boy, I practically invented sarcasm. I'm not so out of practice that I can't recognize it,' **_Although, Jaune himself didn't realize how much pleasure the powerful spirit garnered from the fact he could still invoke such fear from a single utterance. _**'Maa… if it makes you feel any better, He was pretty pathetic when first starting out… and for a long time after…' **_

For this to assure Jaune, however, he would have to admit to himself that he and Jin were somehow, obliquely, related. At least it did sort of clear up the creature's beef with him. Memories of family reunions helped to fill in the gaps, holiday gatherings always bringing with them petty squabbles and old grudges.

"Okay, I-I guess I can accept all… this," Though obviously failing to fully grasp it, much as his hands gestured to the empty darkness. "What does it all mean? Why now?"

'_**Who knows? Your guess is as good as mine.' **_A clear lie, the first and only so far. Though not the first time this supposedly ancient being had professed ignorance, the human part of him still rebelled at the lack of omniscience. _**'You are falling into the same trap of your ancestors. Humans always wish to ascribe reason to things which are nothing but chaos. What is the mortal phrase? God is not a watchmaker. If there is a 'Great Plan', none of us are privy to it, let alone capable of understanding what motivates the All-Powerful. And personally, I am more inclined to think that the Overseers are just as petty and incompetent as the beings they govern. As wise as he was, our 'Father' clearly could not anticipate what would happen many generations after his demise.**_

'_**What I know I do by dint of awareness and experience, not some 'Divine Right'. Karma, justice- all concepts birthed by humans to serve their own preconceived notions of what **_**ought**_** to be. **__**Nothing **__**is owed to you, Boy.**_

'_**If you are looking for cause, however… I can tell you that the hat you have in your lap is packed with Fuinjutsu the way that short-stack teammate of yours stuffs pancakes in her gullet-And seriously, I thought Naruto could wolf it down. That Ginger girl is freaky.' **_

No one needed to tell Jaune that; he'd made the mistake once of getting between Nora and her favorite food, and he was not about to be twice bitten. Though as he yelped and leapt backwards away from the hat, he saw his speckled blood on its white silk panels like a vicious smile grinning at him in the dark.

'_**Blood is key- your blood, specifically.'**_

"-Wait, then-" Color drained from his face as the implications caught up faster than Jaune could scramble up the wall while he thought back to when that hat had arrived, months ago. "Could Jin have planned all this from the beginning?"

But it was still another dreaded few seconds of silence before the Being answered.

'…_**Meh, while I wouldn't put it past that conniving Uchiha, I think you're giving my former host too much credit. Much like you, He was better at 'on-the-fly' planning; we never did get to the 'bigger picture' phase. Otherwise, none of this might have happened.'**_

Knowing the feeling well, Jaune already considered everything that he was being told way above his pay grade.

'_**-Though at the same time, I think you know as well as I that he is up to something now.' **_

No, nope! -Well, okay, maybe yes- but Jin was probably always planning something to torment them (him). Though as the Being in his stomach said, his thoughts were beyond their understanding. There was no point trying to guess what, other than to avoid getting wrapped up in it. Even if… even if Jaune's partner was the target… no, he still wouldn't- couldn't do anything about it.

'_**The Seal is rather weak, and your thoughts are unguarded. You can lie to yourself all you want, but not to me.' **_

As if it would stop all the curses flowing through his head, Jaune bit his lip.

'_**Whenever it comes to yourself, you think too little. There is a reason you were chosen as team leader; you are not unintelligent-'**_

"-What the hell does it matter?!" With the gates of his mind already opened wide, Jaune saw no reason to try and reign in his volume. "Okay, I'm not stupid- so what?! It's not like I'm a tactical genius or even all that smart! I'm getting better but I'll _never _be the strongest- heck, I can't do half the things I want or even _need _to! I'll never be more than a side character- a damn comic relief!"

Frustrations were relieved as he turned around and started punching the wall repeatedly, uselessly- much like all the lessons from Weiss. The bars of his own mind would forever be whittled at, never broken.

"…I'd accepted that… but you want me to be _happy _about it?

"No… You want me to _do something_ for you… that's the only reason you'd be telling me this..." Though he was now breathing and thinking clear, the atmosphere of the room had become muggy and thick. Jaune was drowning up to his armpits in sweat, hair hanging limp against his brow. "But you already know that I'm weak. I wouldn't be your 'Partner'. You said it yourself: I'd be your vessel. I _am _your vessel- that's what JInchῡriki means, doesn't it?"

It wasn't much of a revelation; thinking about it in the back of his mind for some time now, Jaune was nothing but background for his current partner. A warm body. A placeholder, much like how the current silence served for an answer.

'… _**Many have born the title before you. Though admittedly, it has never been an easy life.' **_

"So how am I supposed to accept it? If Jin himself- someone who was supposedly like me but better in every way- you said it yourself, a Child of Prophecy! - even he cracked under pressure, so what chance do I have? No, what _reason _do I have to give up what little I've earned myself for some selfish… brat?! _Why_ should I try to help him when he's done nothing but make our lives miserable?!"

'_**You know what will happen if you do not.' **_

Wishing to do nothing but bury his head in the sand didn't mean he could; so many years existing in the material fantasies of his own mind meant that Jaune couldn't ignore how he was rebelling against this destiny no differently than that consternating Grimm.

But they _were _different. It wouldn't matter how many tails-worth of power Jaune had at his disposal, the disparity in their experience meant that he could never catch up. It was a classic tale of the Tortoise and the Hair, David versus Goliath- except that Jaune was certain that the story wouldn't survive him.

'_**I tell you this story so that you might appreciate your place in it.'**_

"I told you, I get-"

'_**No, I do not think you do,' **_Jaune did not want to think of what that weary sigh meant. The worst part of all this wasn't his own relative insignificance, but that of these millennial beings, knowing that they made mistakes just like anyone else. _**'I will not make any empty promises, nor will I try to convince you that there is glory in giving oneself to a cause. No, the very point of sacrifice is that it is not rewarded. Most are not remembered, and those that are, often in ignominy. **_

'_**How many of your ancestors died nameless, without accomplishment other than ensuring that you are here now? And what of those who fought against them? For every hero, there are untold thousands of anonymous fodder for them to conquer. They pass on no lineage nor legacy; it is like they never even existed.**_

'_**But this is not true. What is a war without an enemy? Where would the mountain peak be without the base? Even I, all the Bijῡ are but a part of a larger whole. This is the one true fate we cannot escape, the nature of the world and the meaning of Ninshῡ. **_

'_**Everything else… that's your choice, and yours alone. I can give you my opinion on what you should do, but I will not force you to help nor will I offer advice if it is unwanted. **_

'_**Descendant of Uzumaki, Jaune Arc, leader of team JNPR… Jinchῡriki. You are all of these things… and none of them. The last thing I will say to you- the one thing I do know beyond a shadow of a doubt- is the longer you try to figure out which you are, the less any of those people matter at all…'**_

Fading away, drifting off, the voice in his head became quieter and quieter until it was gone. And though it was all in his head, the shadows around Jaune seemed to grow to occupy that now empty space- cold feeling in his gut reminding him that he'd skipped dinner and that his insides were as empty as the rest of the dorm room.

Wrapped in darkness, back against the wall with arms hugging his knobby knees to his chest, Jaune was well and truly, unequivocally,

Alone.

* * *

"Where is everybody?"

It was a tossup as to which was the odder: the fact that at five o'clock on a Friday evening the Bullhead station in downtown Vale was all but empty,

Or, that _"but"_.

"I am detecting- *hick* - think I hear what sounds like a large crowd two blocks west and one block north from our current position,"

Looking at one another, the three students from team RWBY could tell they were all thinking the same thing:

Penny Poledina was odd.

Well, odd was putting it nicely- not that she wasn't perfectly polite and gregarious as a storefront greeter, but there was just something… off about her. Penny had popped out of nowhere to introduce herself the instant they disembarked the Bullhead from Beacon and hadn't let them alone since. She nosed into their private conversations and dogged them around the terminal, all with a smile that was as innocent and unconscious as a wagging tail.

"Shall we go?"

The teammates shared another glance in which there was a silent discussion about the possibility of escaping Penny's company. Weiss deferred to Ruby, who looked at Blake, who looked at Penny, who looked at all three with her disturbingly panoramic green eyes more blanked out than Ruby after gorging herself on Ren's chocolate blackout pancakes the first and only time he had been foolish enough to host an inter-team brunch.

Speaking of their fellow first years, it had been through them that Penny presented herself, claiming that all four members of JNPR were her 'best friends'. Some subtle texting to confirm this did not return much confidence. Ren himself was the only one to reply, and the only thing he said when asked whether they knew a Penny Poledina was a curt and uninspiring: yes.

Then again, those three words pretty much summed up Ren in general. And frankly, the three huntresses were more worried about the lack of answer from either Jaune or Pyrrha (These days, Nora and Ren were so attached to the hip they might as well have been the same person) than the strange yet polite Poledina who seemed to be waiting on their beck and call.

"Um… sure, yeah, let's check it out."

They also didn't have many other leads on White Fang activity and were currently down a member (They hadn't yet tried contacting Yang yet, but maybe they should, given the strange goings-on). So, with previous plans scrapped and no solid reason for distrusting this ginger girl who could have been Nora's mild-mannered cousin (or evil twin, depending on opinion), they decided to trust Penny's uncanny instincts.

The streets were unnervingly quiet. Unlike them, everyone else seemed to have clear direction, pedestrians dead set on getting from point A to point B without incident.

"Where's everyone going?"

Were they the salmon or the stream? No one was willing to stop and inform the huntresses; they received only a handful of furtive, almost _fearful _glances from the opposite flow of traffic. The young leader eventually concluded that no, these people weren't _going_ anywhere.

"Something's coming."

By that time though, they didn't need Blake's excellent hearing nor Penny's eerie prescience to tell them this. For that something, the _incident _which the civilians were so hoping to avoid was headed right towards them.

First came the roar, like a landslide, a sound which revived old trauma from events on the Faunus isle.

Then came the Faunus themselves, an avalanche in black and white, spilling around the corner onto main street.

"It's a riot!"

Not merely a demonstration, this was the real deal, a visible representation of the cascading dominoes which had got them there. Weiss's shout was subsumed by the fervent chants and jeers, her face becoming just another among the crowd as it turned leaden white.

Most wore the White Fang's colors in solidarity, though few brandished the iconic Grimm mask. Many rioters wore bandanas, balaclavas or other headwear to disguise their faces from the inevitable authoritative retribution- though it was almost certain they would be punished just the same.

It was impossible to see if there were any _actual _terrorists amongst the mob. Weapons could easily be hidden behind the violently colorful and jarringly provocative poster-boards which they held above their heads like axes. Some just held a few sentences, scribbled slogans, while other signs were so creative, they made the girls feel like spectators as they moved to the side and watched the parade pass them by.

There was Atlas, anthropomorphized as a human who looked like Jacques Schnee and stomping violently on the bloated Kingdom of Vale.

Behind was another depiction of the Northern Kingdom as a half-robot puppet master, Vale being conducted like one of the AK units that had been brought in to help maintain the 'peace'.

Next to this was a profile comparison of a Beowulf and an Atlesian Knight, mirror images with words at the top asking the rhetorical: "Which is worse?"

Then marched in the ubiquitous Faunus in chains, an imagine so commonplace in both propaganda and real life that seeing it almost brought a sense of normalcy, if not comfort. In fact, the words written in bold stencil at the top of the sign were by far the most disturbing part of this whole spectacle thus far:

"If you do not speak out for us…" then continued at the bottom of the frame, "Who will be left when they come for you?"*

Following this was another poster in a similar vein, but with humor and a clearer message. It had a human laughing and pointing at a Faunus being carted away in irons. The dark irony came at the bottom with the human's ankle linked to the Faunus and the caption which read:

"Don't laugh… You're next!"

"I don't get it," It wasn't that Ruby didn't understand the implications. No, even she could read between the lines. But like a whole chapter was missing, she couldn't understand how the narrative had changed so drastically. "I thought the White Fang was totally against humans?"

"I do not believe this is strictly the work of the White Fang," While Ruby expected something from their resident Faunus, it was instead the newcomer who answered out of the blue. "The curfew and heavy monitoring by law enforcement has made it difficult for large groups like the White Fang to congregate. According to local news, this gathering seems to be a 'viral' phenomenon. Several smaller demonstrations across town spontaneously erupted at the same time and have since merged."

How she suddenly seemed to know this was also seemingly inexplicable, as if Penny had an easier time listening to local radio waves than the dubious vibes from the people around her.

"Wait, 'curfew'?" Yet, it was something else Ruby chose to comment on. "There's a curfew in Vale? Why didn't we hear about this?"

"Huntsmen, huntresses and other service personnel are exempt from the restrictions," Penny's look of blithe innocence did not exempt her from Ruby's annoyance, however. If anything, making it worse because it seemed like this ought to be something she should know. "As students, we may be asked to provide auxiliary policing."

"_You're _a huntress?" While she couldn't stop herself, Weiss halted Penny as she wound up with what was probably an annoying answer. The Schnee was pissed enough already. "Never mind. What I want to know is, _what are they thinking? _Who the heck is in charge, anyway? Don't they understand that they're only going to make the situation worse?"

Penny looked at Weiss askance, the point seeming to go over her head. But Blake so well enough the terminal trajectory.

"Even though it was the White Fang and Torchwick who were responsible for the Dust robberies, it's Atlas who's going to take the blame. The damage from the robberies was relatively minor and isolated, but this sort of authoritarian crack-down is going to affect everyone. It's easy to make unfeeling robots into the enemies."

Ruby saw Penny flinch out of the corner of her eye but didn't think much of it. After all, she was worried too, focused on the ranks of Atlesian Knights which suddenly filed in from either side and blocked off the street. They arranged themselves into two, perfectly staggard lines, behind which one could just barely make out uniformed Vale PD milling about and looking more unnerved than the ones they were facing.

"**This is an unlawful gathering. Please disperse peacefully.**" Even Penny in her social obliviousness could see that this wasn't going to happen. However, the militant androids waited until the protestors got closer before arming their shields. A phalanx of clear polyethylene rose up and stared down the Faunus crowd, holographic "Atlas Military Police Expeditionary Detachment" mirroring carboard and Sharpie which read: "We are not your pets!". "**Repeat: Disperse peacefully. Disperse peacefully. This is your final warning. Acknowledge; failure to obey will result in the use of force.**"

The militarized machines would not be held responsible for their actions, and the Vale cops didn't look like they were about to step up, either.

The protest itself didn't appear to be under its own control. What had started organically suddenly gained a mind of its own as the crowd surged towards the barricades, bodies throwing themselves against the police line like a dog straining at its leash.

The crowd crashed and sloshed back while the AK units held as firmly as a dam. Whatever organization the protest had was lost as the back ranks continued to push forward, forcing those at the front and middle to spread out over the sidewalk levies like a floodplain.

"Maybe we should get out of here."

Tensions in the demonstrators were rising like a highwater mark, and Blake knew all too well what happened when people were pushed like this, cut off with nowhere to go.

"But isn't there something we can do to keep this from blowing up?" It wasn't like Weiss to be so altruistic and based on the pensive frown it was clear she didn't know what to do with it. "I mean, not just us as huntresses, but isn't there something _we_, the two of us, should be doing?"

The Schnee Heiress and the Belladonna Scion; hardly mentioned in the same breath Blake wasn't holding. Yet… it could work, couldn't it? It would be a milestone in their team's history, if not the history of Remnant itself-

But all it took was a single, anonymous person, a stone they picked up and hurled at the legions of Knights. While the rock bounced off their shields, the impact had already been made.

Tired of so long with nothing but insults and slogans to fight this David and Goliath battle, others quickly picked up projectiles and began slinging them at the army of machines. They dug loose bricks from walls and lifted cobblestones from the streets. They cast aside the tired chants of "Freedom, Equality, and Peace," and used their painstakingly crafted signboards as mere bludgeons to try and get the message across.

"I am unsure," Penny frowned, it must have been the first time they had seen her with such an expression. "However, I believe speeches at this point would be ineffective."

Biting her tongue, Blake knew that it wouldn't do any good to get upset over it. But she couldn't help it, feeling Penny's simple remark as the most caustic of sarcasm and shutting her eyes as they began to burn.

"Hey," Help came from the most unlikely source, a hand she would expect to wag at her with an, 'I told you so', instead placed itself on her shoulder as Weiss looked at her… kindly. "It's not your fault."

"Yes, it is!" Blake protested just as violently as the other Faunus.

"Okay, fine," A much more Weiss-like eye roll somehow made the acceptance palatable. "But then it's all of our faults- and _You-Know-Who's_ most of _all_."

Blake snapped her mouth shut on self-recrimination. They all remembered what happened at the White Fang rally, and it wasn't hard to believe _He _had something to do with this. Just too easy, Jin might as well have been another scapegoat on those poster-boards.

"Yeah, yeah, that's great. Now!" Ruby imposed herself on her teammates with hands firmly planted on her hips, no less a symbol of defiance and inspiration. "-Are we going to do something about it, or not?"

Also like those all those signs and slogans with their rhetorical arguments, her question wasn't made to be answered with words. Luckily, her teammates were already riled up. They steeled themselves as their leader began to brainstorm, pinballing between the building and the curb like the thoughts in her head.

"Okay! So…so, so, so- you two! Weiss Schnee and Blake Belladonna! Atlas and Faunus. You guys represent the different groups here, so we need you to show everyone that they can get along. We need them to see that even enemies can become the best of friends," While missing the hesitant look shared between the two 'friends', with every ricochet the red-hooded girl saw more fuel added to the fire. Literally, she thought she saw someone lighting a Molotov cocktail, so she needed to hurry. "How do we get the message across? We need somewhere visible, some way to get everyone's attention. What about a rooftop and a flare?"

"If I may-"

"Ack! No, all the buildings here are too tall… and setting off explosives might not be the best idea… what about the billboards? Gah! If only hacking was as easy as it was in video games…"

"Actually, I might be able to-"

"I got it!"

And though she had been thoroughly ignored, Penny was apparently happy enough to experience the thought process, her smile matching Ruby's who whipped around to finger the police line.

"We'll use that!" Along with the Atlesian knights had come a command vehicle which parked itself a good distance behind the front line. Conspicuous with its extended communications boom, but otherwise ignored as the protestors focused their increasing violence on the ruthlessly emotionless robots. "Everyone should be able to see us if we get on the roof, and the cops might even let us use it if we tell them we're huntresses. It's right there in front, it's got speakers, it's perf-"

"Stupid." The disparity between how her captain _thought _this plan would go and the sheer trouble she _knew _it would turn out to be was giving Weiss a headache. She drew a deep breath and- "Alright, alright, so, am I going to just create a bridge over there with my Glyphs or-"

***SMASH***

But less than a stone's throw away from the four huntresses, things had already escalated.

"Are they… are they seriously robbing a Dust store right in front of us?"

Behind them and in broad daylight, four black-clad hoodlums had broken away from the protest and smashed their way into a boutique Dust shop- one of the few that hadn't been hit thus far because of its conspicuous location on a main drag.

"We should… we should stop it, I guess?" Though Weiss sounded more grudging about this than her partner's plan. Dealing with the criminals would take them away from their main objective- not to mention, time they didn't have in the first place.

"Dang it!" Ruby was being tugged either direction by the hands in her hair, "No, no, we have bigger problems to worry about, we can't- Blake!"

They certainly did, as Blake seemed to devolve along with the protest. Her countrymen and women were comporting themselves like… like animals! And so, she answered in kind, loping the half-block towards the arsonists like a cheetah.

"Stop!"

She yelled ahead at the rioters, much as Ruby called out to her from behind. And though it was unlikely either could hear it over the din of the crowd, the four protestors-turned-burglars turned to see Blake charging at them full-tilt.

Two of the crooks had been attempting to carry out a full safe. But seeing the danger, they dropped what they were doing and made a break for the safety of the crowd. The one furthest from the shop had the best chance of this, but he slipped on a piece of glass their careless tromping had thrown about. Skittering and scrambling to get to his feet, only to have Blake kick his hand out from underneath him as she passed on her way to his cohort.

After seeing his two comrades go down, the third criminal couldn't seem to decide whether it was safer inside the shop or out. In his indecision he tripped over the transept, banged his shin on the broken window's ledge on the way down and then just lay there pitifully halfway on the sidewalk like a runny egg yolk. Meanwhile the fourth-

"Ha, ha!" The last Faunus criminal laughed as he ran towards the crowd. "Too bad Black Cats have such bad lu-look out!"

He lucked out, looking back just in time to leapfrog over Ruby's attempted sweep. Touching off with a hand on her head, the juvenile delinquent dove into the crowd, his literal raven-hair and red eyes disappearing with a wink.

"Damn it!"

The swear slipped from Weiss's lips much as the thief had from Ruby's clutches. But the girl didn't bother reprimanding her partner, still trying to figure out how she had been so thoroughly outmaneuvered.

Meanwhile, the man who had slipped on the glass was slowly trying to crawl his way to safety when he was spotted by Weiss.

"And just where do you think you're going?"

The man let out a whimper as he was dragged back by his ankle. A flick of her wrist turned him onto his back where he covered his face which was now red from both embarrassment and road-rash.

"Sorry, but you're not going to get any sympathy from me." While her negative opinion of Faunus had been tempered by her teammates, even they could not stop Weiss from giving the man a lecture at the length of her sword. "Violence as a statement is one thing. But more than hurting others with this criminal behavior, you're hurting _yourselves_. You might think you're being righteous, but your actions today were-"

"Stupid!"

Blake was far less elegant, far more liable to hurt the man she captured herself if Ruby wasn't hanging over her shoulder. Penny too was watching from a safe distance and with disconcerting fascination as Blake's face turned splotchy with anger.

"You've ruined everything!" The man's hoodie would likely be relegated to the rag pile as Blake held him up by his collar, gnashing her fangs right in his face. "Any legitimacy we've gained will be gone! They'll say that the violence was used purely for personal gain! It was all- everything I- that the White Fang-"

"I-I'm sorry!" The thief who clearly no longer wanted to be, blurted out, the bandana over his mouth waving like a white flag. "P-please! I-I didn't mean to piss off the White Fang! Really!"

"_**That's **_what you care about?!" However, in the moment before she became absolutely livid, Blake's concerns also shifted as she realized something. "-Wait… you're not even a Faunus, are you?"

"Hey! Hey! Over here!" There was the one who got away, now returned and beckoning to them from somewhere in the anonymous throngs. They heard his voice but couldn't see him. "Check it out! There're huntresses over here, beating up some of our guys!"

Said huntresses looked at one another, then towards the crowd to see if they could spot the Faunus perpetrator. They didn't recognize any of the faces slowly turning to them but-

Then, they recognized what he said.

"_What?!"_

Weiss's indignant shout somehow managed to be louder than all the ones in the vicinity already screaming at the top of their lungs. It caught those people's attention, heads slowly swiveling towards the huntresses like the gun turrets of a battleship.

Suddenly, the Atlesian Knights were no longer the center of attention.

"Hey! Leave those guys alone!" The first to step forward was more bark than bite, forcing his way through the forest of legs that towered around him to brandish his shaking fist at the huntresses. "Just 'cause you're huntresses doesn't give you the right to pick on us!"

"Excuse me, but these men were breaking the law!" Being who she was, the Schnee knew that she was walking on thin ice. But, also being who she was, she couldn't back down. "We are _huntresses, _and that's our job!"

"So, you gonna take us all in?" Someone else said with the sarcastic laugh of a hyena. "This is "an unlawful gatherin'," right?"

"These men aren't even Faunus!" Blake argued, hoisting her captive up higher by his scruff, "They have nothing to do with the cause and are only here to make trouble!"

"I'd say that's what you lot are doing!" There were a lot of anonymous agreements, low murmurs sounding like trouble as they began to encircle the four girls. "Who cares if they're human? This protest is about _equality!_"

A unified outcry made the huntresses realize just how outnumbered they were, forced to drop the lawbreakers who were then picked up and enfolded into the protestor's ranks.

"It's you all who don't belong! Just because you've got your Aura and weapons doesn't give you _authority _over us!"

"Everyone, please!"

A commanding voice spoke up. Ruby took a step forward and the crowd ebbed, recoiling half again the distance of her arms which were outstretched to show her commitment to peace.

"Please, I'm _asking_ you to just listen!" She had stowed her scythe. Disarmed rather than unarmed, Ruby wasn't sure how to combat this unforeseen threat, and was, as usual, mostly going on instinct. "This is all a terrible misunderstanding; we didn't come here wishing anyone harm. We just happened to be here when the police arrived and thought we could help!"

"Yeah, help the _cops!_"

"We're not your enemies," Echoes of the police broadcasts could be heard in the background; the protestors were quiet. For as much as they still wanted someone to blame, most were reluctant to unload their vitriol on this harmless-looking girl, huntress or no. "Look, we don't think we're different from you. We're the _same_. My partner is Weiss _Schnee_, and Blake here is a Faunus- and more than my teammates, they're my best friends! So we understand how you feel. The only thing we want is to make Remnant a better place!"

While this had been the plan from the beginning, Weiss and Blake could not help but blush at their leader's sincerity. Such candor was embarrassing- to the crowd as well who were forced to take a good look at themselves.

"…Sellouts!"

From within the becalmed mob came a voice that was becoming both more familiar and infuriating- More and more the huntresses thought that they recognized that Faunus ne'er-do-well, but they still couldn't pick out the Cheshire grin in the confused crowd.

"Hey, yeah!"- The same person, shifting his tone and throwing his voice amongst the muddled throngs, "She's a Schnee, doesn't that prove that they're working with Atlas?"

The ventriloquist played them as handily as a video game. Guilt by association, resentment towards Atlas and now the Schnee in particular once again spreading like radiation amongst the gathered. They were getting closer, packing tighter like a tinderbox.

"Isn't Ozpin best-buds with General Ironwood? I bet they planned this whole thing!"

The students couldn't even deny this conspiracy- there was no stopping the spread as the criticism came fast and from all around like a rain of arrows. A semi-circle had enclosed them against the ramparts of the defaced storefront, feet moving forward and back kicking the scattered Dust crystals which lay all but forgotten.

"You're nothing but Atlas's _Dogs_!"

"You'd rather protect a fancy Dust Shop than us!"

"If we're on the same side, shouldn't you be out fighting the Grimm?!"

"Tch! I'd rather have a Grimm here than someone who _pretends _to be our ally!"

"Hey, back off my partner!" Securing her arm, Weiss pulled herself forward and Ruby back, whispering in her ear, "Ruby, I think it's time to _go_."

But they continued to float there like flotsam in a storm, battered on either side by a tempest of accusations which seemed to get worse by the second. Weiss made a decision.

"Ruby, I'll distract them while you grab the others and get out of here."

Looking at Weiss, her partner's face was split between incredulity and admonishment, much like the crowd who were both urging the huntresses to scram and to stand and face judgement. Ruby chose the latter, gripping Weiss harder to make sure that they wouldn't get separated.

"Hell no!"

This shocked Weiss, but, really, less than if Ruby had agreed with her. There was no way their leader would leave someone behind- not again. Just as inconceivable would be them fighting their way through these civilians. These people were simply misguided, made incontinent by rage.

"Just, let me _think_…"

But she couldn't, not with the urgent shouting and acidic criticism eating at her self-confidence. Her thoughts were cornered much as they were, making peaceful resolution difficult at best. Seconds whittled by as Ruby worried away the skin on her lips and the sidewalk eroded under their feet.

"**Stop!**"

The shout had the same quality as the police shields, shoving the protestors back a few steps where something and someone took their place.

Team RWB(Y) had forgotten about their own ally, their 'friend'. Moving forward, Penny threw her arms out and cast a net of chains around the huntresses. Three rows of glittering chromium steel stood between them and the protestors like barbed wire, penning them in- protecting them.

"Hate… so much hate…" Penny was deceptively calm- they hadn't really believed her when she said that she was a huntress, and so couldn't deign to know what was going on behind that halcyon expression. "I admit, I am… new here. But no matter how hard I try, I fear I will never understand… no, rather, I am tired of it, all the hate."

"What does a brat like you know?!" Mistaking inner peace for outer, the protestors began to press once again. "How _dare _you say you're tired of hate- what about us? While you spend your days playing the heroes, we toil away at our thankless jobs which keep this Kingdom running! We're _sick _of it! Every day we have to put up with _hate_, contempt, discrimination- _ignorance_! People who don't even realize the prejudice that's built into them, they just live their lives believing that there's no issue- they're the real problem! People like you who're _tired _of it- tough! This is who we are! Hate passed down through generations who've had to put up with it in silence- it's in our blood!"

Passionate, bloodthirsty, a roar of approval erupted from the crowd. But then Penny's eyes snapped open and the harsh tone in her voice came back around like a whipcrack.

"**You are all weak!"** Chains rattled, the crowd hissed and guttered like a kindling flame trying to burn its way through a green sapling. "-And it has nothing to do with weapons, or Aura or Semblances. I have not been here long, but even I understand this."

Unlike Jin, there was not a speck of malice behind her smile. It too was unnerving, but for its unadulterated honesty that burned like bleach. The riled protestors backed away, retreated from it as cockroaches in a kitchen light.

"I just met them a few hours ago, but team RWBY has been so kind to me. We are so different, yet they accepted me as a friend." As embarrassing as Ruby's praise, all three huntresses were chagrinned to admit that they had been considering how to ditch the awkward tag-along. "Until very recently, my reason for existing was the destruction of another. I am tired of it. I do not wish to focus on the hate or violence any longer. Instead, I will devote myself to protecting peace and kindness for as long as I can."

A moment of devout silence and tender stillness lasted all of the time it took for Penny to turn and smile at the three huntresses-

And then her joyous expression, the peace, all of it was stolen by unyielding decree:

"**All units converge, protect the principal." **

The Atlesian Knights emerged from the alleys on either side of the storefront, forcing themselves through the dense crowds like a spoon through cold butter. They surrounded Penny and the huntresses, also carving out a chunk of the protestors which were now trapped between the two and being squeezed in the overall press. Even with the two opposing sides as clear as black and white, it was chaos.

"Penny!" Ruby shouted the moment she realized they were on the opposite side of the AK's shields, a sweeping wave of panic as she clung to her partner all the more like a life preserver. "What's going on?"

The androids were being more aggressive, downright mean, if one were to attribute such a human quality to the unthinking machines. Single-minded and tactless in pursuit of their goal, they treated both humans and Faunus equally as an obstacle- and not a very difficult one.

"Atlesian Knights, I, Weiss Schnee, _order _you to stand down!"

There was a struggle of conflicting orders, a pause before their primary directive won out and the robots resumed their ruthless extrication.

"**Orders inexecutable. You do not have sufficient authority." **

"Oh, fine!"

But this moment provided a chink in their formation, a target for Weiss's annoyance as she poked at the joints of the automata nearest to her with _Myrtenaster_. Like acupuncture, the autonomous soldier collapsed under the needlepoint precision, lay there as blank-faced as always while Weiss stepped over it and dragged her partner with her.

"Well, now what?"

The machines didn't appear to be too concerned about their presence within the cordon, closing ranks over the unit that Weiss had disabled and trapping them behind the wall of shields along with Penny and a handful of unfortunate protestors.

"What?!"

Weiss winced at Ruby's shout, though the only reason she could even hear her leader was because they were right next to one another. Penny's apology was just out of reach, the words on her lips being elbowed out by the panicking civilians whose expressions of terror lent the situation urgency.

"Everyone, calm down!"

They hadn't even seen Blake slip behind the lines, but her voice above the others was enough to bring some amount of comfort to all parties.

"Hey… you there!"

Too calm, a shock of raven hair like a duck's tail feathers stood out more than the heads of her teammates. Blake recognized that Faunus rabble-rouser was inside the cordon with them, turning tail at her shout and looking like he was trying to escape through the androids' encirclement.

She wouldn't let him… this was all his fault!

She didn't wait for the confused civilians to get out of her way. Climbing over them like scrambling a talus slope and grabbing onto the ledge of his shoulder, she pulled herself towards the miscreant as much as she yanked him back from whatever he'd been doing. Facing towards her-

Red eyes. That smile-

No. A shit-eating grin, a step below the maniacal one Nora wore when she was hyped up on sugar and a good fight. Blake still didn't recognize the face, but as if she'd seen it once before-

"Better luck next time, neko-chan."

And then the Raven Faunus was gone, puff of smoke slipping through her fingers so that Blake clearly saw the slip of paper he had placed on the back of an Atlesian Knight. It was covered in scribbles as indecipherable as the writing in that secret chamber, but the bottom of the paper burning like a wick spelled trouble as much as his wicked expression.

Blake paled.

"Look o-!"

Blinding light, a loud pop and prodigious amounts of smoke amounted to a very theatrical explosion, one disabled Knight and a downed huntress.

But it did the job.

"What was that?!"

"They're attacking! They're gonna kill us!"

"**Lethal force detected. Offensive protocols approved." **

After the initial pyrotechnics came a roulade of firecrackers, bursts of light from within the smokescreen as the Androids began using more than just their shields to pacify the rioters. Bodies dropped, stunned-But no more so than the rest of the horrified protestors who heard what sounded like a massacre.

It was as if someone had lit a match in a roomful of pure oxygen, good intentions suddenly exploding violently in every direction. Flight, fright and fight; Individuals jostled one another trying to escape, internal conflicts broke out, and the fittest among the herd stampeded over those that had collapsed in terror. The ring of Atlesian Knights enclosing the huntresses was compressed like a handcuff, trapping them.

"Blake! Where are you?!" Though Ruby was hardly in a position to worry about anyone but herself, she treaded water above the sweeping wave of chaos looking for her teammates.

"Friend Ruby, over here!" More a troublesome acquaintance than a true friend at this point, Ruby was no less happy to see Penny suspended above them in a spider's web of her chains. Draped in her arms was Blake, eyes closed and with a mantel of soot around her head and shoulders, but otherwise unharmed. "Might I suggest we leave? I do not think there is any more that we can do he-"

Someone struck a bullseye, something hard smacking Penny across her cheekbone and whipping her head to the side. Though she wasn't the only one stunned by this bolt out of the blue, several people looking up at the otherwise pristine girl, expecting to see a nasty red gash. Except…

"Look! Look! She's just like them! She's a robot!"

This statement stuck out much like Penny herself above the madness, people pausing in the middle of thrown fists, tears frozen, and cries caught in throats as they looked and saw the girl falter. Never did Penny lose her grip on Blake, but she swayed in her chains, twitched like a dying fly and tried to hide from their stares.

"She's one of them! The huntresses are nothin' but Atlas's tools!"

More invectives were thrown at Penny, bricks, trash and other blunt instruments all aimed at the crosshairs between her nose and the flap of artificial skin that had been peeled away. There was no more plastic smile on her face- nothing. But the hollow expression, devoid of life, was even worse than knowing that what lay underneath wasn't organic.

"Stop it!"

With a leap and sweep of _Crescent Rose_, Ruby sent some of the objects back to the ones who threw them. After landing on the shoulders of an Atlesian Knight who collapsed with the help of a nasty stomp in his pneumatic neckline, Ruby looked up to see Penny still hanging limp as a piñata.

"What's _wrong _with you people?!" Never had Ruby experienced such ill temperament, such bad behavior making herself feel like a weary adult at the same time she struggled not to let loose a temper tantrum. "Come on, Penny! Let's get out of here!"

Though as if something in her own network was damaged, the gynoid failed to move. The Knights advanced instead, trampling the Faunus underfoot as they moved to surround her.

Ruby faltered, finally understanding what the Androids were about. They were _protecting _Penny, much as she was trying to do- and, much as she now realized, definitely making things worse. But what options did they have? As little choice as the AK's themselves; They couldn't exactly up and leave things as they were, not with Penny having some sort of meltdown and her teammate still in the line of fire.

Another explosion, a ball of blue flame shot towards the sky as a Knight and his plasma rifle were cut in two by one well-placed blow. Its robotic comrades to the left and right turned to engage the target with all due force, but both were taken down at the knees, the aggressor not pausing to finish them off as they clear-cut their way through the ranks.

It was only when the hostile stranger started hacking away at Penny's chain-roots that Ruby found her feet again, moving towards them just as the Robo-huntress and her teammate toppled into his hands.

Catching herself before she did something rash again, Ruby stared down the masked man while he gently hoisted both girls over his shoulder. The side which bore Penny noticeably sagged- something that was obvious now that she was paying attention. The huntress could also tell that it was a man beneath that black cloak, could even see the short sword tucked at his waist as he turned to stare at her with keyhole slits. But she could glean nothing of his intentions, emotion limited to curl of crimson across an otherwise bone-blank mask.

-But he was still in possession of her teammate- her two _friends. _This was more than enough to make her wary, both of the stranger and the violent action she was tempted towards.

Though Ruby should have been more aware of her surroundings which had evolved into something between a battlefield and a barroom brawl. An Atlesian Knight fell atop her almost drunkenly as it was struck in the head by a Faunus with a baseball bat, and Ruby found herself pinned beneath the scrap heap that was heavier than it looked.

Struggling just to lift her head, she saw the masked man dart into the tumult.

"Blake!" As she attempted to use her scythe as a prybar, a cry of effort coincided with one to her partner, "Weiss!"

"On it!"

Weiss came out of nowhere to land on the two kneecapped Knights, ruthlessly decapitating them like dolls which had lost her favor. Neither love nor time was lost as she took off after the masked man who had kidnapped her teammate and… whatever Penny was.

Ruby was chagrinned to admit that she should have listened to her sister and worked on her upper body strength more. She took that frustration, along with all the unhealthy feelings of anger and worse that had been building up for the last hour, forcing them into a single pushup. Unloading these burdens all at once, Ruby had nothing else holding her back from flying off in pursuit of her teammates.

Literally. A single Gravity-Dust round aimed at the street trumped the ground's hold on her, and suddenly Ruby was above the chaos like a witch on her broomstick.

But the masked man, burdened as he was, was still fast. From her vantage, he appeared to be as at home among the violence as Brer Rabbit in his briar patch, weaving in and out of individual conflicts without so much as a scratch.

She would change that; changing direction mid-air with another round from her scythe, Ruby herself shot towards the masked man as he emerged out of the riot into an alleyway. Knees coiled like recoil springs as she sunk into the landing. Compressional energy converted into rotational just like she'd transformed her burgeoning rage into righteous passion. And with it, Ruby whipped around with a strike that would have hamstrung the masked man.

However, he simply hopscotched over her swing as if this were a game and he'd fully expected it as part of the rules. Knowing that she couldn't risk harming his hostages, the man continued running without looking back.

He took what seemed to be a pre-planned turn down another alley, ignoring the two protestors who thought they had escaped the danger. Ruby followed closely, buzzing the two Faunus who cowered, not wanting to get caught up in this bloodthirsty hunt.

From there it was very much a game, one of cat and mouse. The masked man was as familiar with the twists and turns as any of Vale's rat population. He was not giving Ruby a chance to overtake him, their chase leading them further and further away from the lingering sounds of savagery.

Though it wasn't until they came to a screeching halt that Ruby noticed the quietness. Darkness hid everything but the man's porcelain-white mask as he stood at the mouth of an entryway, and Ruby suddenly realized that the whole thing could very well be a trap. Yet, he was making no move to entice her further into the confines of the underpass, almost as if-

"Well… at least… _someone_… waited…"

Weiss struggled to walk in a straight line, wobbling on her high heels which were now more like Plimsolls after that mad pursuit. All but collapsing against the brickwork, she glared at her leader, left eye fluttering like her breath.

"You think he's…?"

Ruby asked herself as the man gave what could have been mistaken for a nod, turning deliberately slow and with loud, clear footsteps, walked deeper into the building complex.

"For the record, _I _wanted to go to the CCT." But Weiss swallowed her disappointment along with a dry gulp of air, straightened herself up as much as possible and turned to her partner. "Well?"

"I'll go first."

But Weiss wasn't far behind, and after passing through the dark passageway they emerged into an open courtyard with towering apartments like castle walls on every side. The masked man was waiting at a doorway across a perfectly square patch of grass that was now perfectly dead. Their feet crunched like fresh snow as they approached cautiously, the sniper instinctively looking up at every window as a machicolation from which arrows or hot oil would suddenly fall on their heads.

They were still waiting to be ambushed, even as the man himself waited there at a very plebian foyer, foot propped to keep the automatic latch from locking them out, and the two women over his shoulder like bags of groceries he was taking upstairs to an aging relative.

Once inside, they ascended a decrepit stairway. Aging steps that groaned with unease as they followed several flights behind the masked man. They didn't dare try to overtake him here, afraid of a fight on a floor that felt like it would collapse under normal circumstances. In fact, how it held up with Penny's extraordinary weight was a mystery they could think about as little as they could look down and see how high they were.

It was also just plain hard to see, darkness accelerated by the tall buildings blocking the evening sun. And each landing had only a single window which showed them the hunchback silhouette of the masked man as he crossed. He kept going up, winding like clockwork springs ticking past seven in the evening, seven-thirty, eight…

On and on, they kept track of him in silence. There didn't seem to be another soul in the entire complex, footsteps echoed in empty apartments even as the glass spyholes on numbered doors watched them pass. They almost missed him turning down a corridor but for the modest light which winked as he moved in front of it. He opened the door further, but this brought no more light into the hallway, and the sudden end to their journey did not make either huntress any less wary.

Wordlessly and without question, Ruby entered first; she was the fastest, most likely to make an escape if-

"-Hey!"

Thoughtlessly, Weiss barged in with sword brandished against whatever lay in wait.

The apartment was near empty, so tiny that she could practically reach out and pull Ruby back from where she was already halfway out the window.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Weiss did just that, lunging for her leader and snatching her skirt before the young Rose could leap from the umpteenth story.

"But-!" Ruby banged her head on the low sill as she turned to her teammate, clutching her head and hissing, "That guy, he's getting away!"

"Who cares?!" With her sword hand, Weiss gestured to the apartment's other occupants.

Ruby obviously cared. Once reminded of their original purpose, she nearly knocked Weiss over as she blurred over to Blake who lay on the room's sofa. She kneeled by the prefab furniture, pressing her nose into her teammate's ashen face. No signs that she'd awoken at all during the hostage crisis. Truthfully, Blake looked like she was more concerned in sleeping off a nasty hangover.

By the same token, looking around, the small room screamed now 'poor student' rather than 'pathological serial killer' like they'd first assumed. The creepiest thing being Penny who sat upright in a dusty armchair with a half-lidded gaze staring blankly into the middle of the room.

While Ruby fussed over their teammate, Weiss moved over to the Atlesian… android, was she? If so, would that make her an 'it'? It was honestly hard to tell; she'd been fooled by the enthusiastic and annoying performance- one couldn't call it a personality if she wasn't a person, right? But again… it was hard to tell. That skin was so lifelike; Weiss noted with both jealousy and fascination as she leaned in that it was already closing up on its own without blemish, covering tech that wasn't as familiar as she'd hoped.

With curiosity that wasn't she hoped wasn't morbid, Weiss reached up to Penny's face and gently moved the flap of skin back where it belonged. She felt more than saw the strings of cobwebs stitching the separate pieces, a tingling of nanites sensing her own, goosebump flesh and trying to decide whether she was a part of the process.

More than that though, she felt… warm.

"-Oh, hello, Weiss."

"KYAAAA!"

Weiss crashed backwards into Ruby who had been trying to decide whether to clean Blake up or simply leave her with the soot-mask like the magic-marker people drew on their passed-out friends during slumber parties (that was a thing, right?).

Penny just cocked her head at their antics- human antics, Weiss amended, which didn't necessarily mean that they specifically were weird.

"Penny!" Ruby chirruped like a groundhog as she poked her head out from the flap of her partner's skirt. "You're alright!"

"Yes, fine," Meanwhile, Weiss looked down at her leader like she'd broken something. "I hope I have not been too much trouble,"

"-Actually-"

"-Since you know by now what I am, I have no problem telling you about my condition. While I have been designed to handle and emulate human emotions, I suspect that certain, complex paradigms require more processing power than I can handle while also maintaining autonomous function."

Though she had apparently not noticed Weiss's attempted interruption, Penny did see the looks of confusion on the faces of her friends and correctly interpreted them.

"In other words, emotional stress makes me sleepy."

It was almost insultingly straightforward. And as much as Weiss wanted to condemn it, say that humanity could never be distilled into something as basic as a program… she had to admit, she was tired of arguing.

"So… are you good now?"

The smile which lit the room more than the single bare-wire bulb might have been answer enough. But given half a prompt, Penny hopped up from her chair and swept the two huntresses off the floor and into a hug.

"Marvelous! Thank you so much, this has been such a wonderful experience!"

Not able to say the same- Ruby and Weiss weren't able to say anything as they were crushed by Penny's vice grip. And as the blackness crept in, they were reminded of another character who was noticeably missing from all this.

"I have learned so much- oh! I just remembered something,"

Like she had suddenly forgotten the two huntresses, Penny dropped them in a heap and paced over to the window. Through googly eyes and the glass reflection they could see the gynoid's face become more of what they expected from an unfeeling machine. There was an analytical glint in her eyes and a small smile which made the two huntresses anxious as she turned to face them.

"The last time something like this happened was when I was wrestling with the concept of hate. It was… difficult. Everyone I asked had a different opinion, and trying to form a cohesive understanding seemed impossible… I believe what I felt was, 'despair'? It made me feel… weak.

"This is its strength. Previously, the simplest answer I had was that Jinchῡriki was wrong, and Hate was merely ignorance, an inability to love. But I was in error. It is more than that… and less. Hate is to emotion what a virus is to life. After today, I think I understand; what's important is what Hate means to him, and what he plans to do with this proliferation."

The accomplished smile she wore despite the heavy topic made them doubt once again whether the gynoid herself was really 'alive'. And as much as they were taken aback by Penny's proselytizing, Ruby backtracked once again to something she thought she heard…

"… you know Jin?"

"You know," Weiss leaned back and made herself comfortable as possible on the couch which was as stiff as the cardboard box it probably came in. She sighed wearily; expression similar to Blake's restive scowl as all she wanted to do was lay back and forget the world existed. "I'm actually not going to question it."

Penny's smile was as broad as Weiss's acceptance, as if she'd already agreed to be friends for this small shared experience.

Ruby herself shrugged, accepting both premises. Whether or not Penny was a 'real girl' didn't really matter; she had been willing to accept Jin if only he hadn't been such a mean, conniving-

"Wait- back up for a sec. What was that last part?"

* * *

"Well, well. Look who's finally back."

Adam rolled his eyes- not that she could see it as he exchanged masks, tucking his other face into a stained oil-rag and hiding it from sight. He then removed the short sword from his belt and traded it for its larger brother, shutting the locker on the evidence before turning around to face Cinder Fall.

"Did you at least have 'fun'?"

"In case you haven't noticed, my people are in turmoil." It was a tossup; this woman could pick apart his ego like a stewed chicken leg, but her own arrogance blinded her to certain things which should be obvious. "I need to do all I can to make sure that this doesn't become a bloodbath… before we're ready."

And by then, he was hoping his betrayal would be a fait accompli.

"_He's _certainly made a mess of things, hasn't He?"

Thankfully, the woman's attention was elsewhere these days. Shooting a scowl into the darkness of the room, she had eyes only for another.

Glowing, molten eyes the envy of any forge.

"You could say that."

Not a lot could be said about the creature known as Jin that wasn't speculation, opinion, or had been said ad-infinitum already. Adam personally _loathed _the Man-Grimm. But the woman-

"He's ruined everything!" Plenty of the décor had already been destroyed by Cinder's catharsis. It hadn't been a consideration at the time they chose their base of operations, but the defunct foundry was fortunately (mostly) resistant to the woman's rages. But a wire chair which had already lost its upholstery was set alight as faithfully as dry kindling while Cinder huffed steam from her nostrils. "All that work for Mountain Glenn- gone! What does She _see _in him?!"

Adam had never seen this 'Mistress' Cinder mentioned. He hadn't needed to, as Cinder had bullied him well-enough all on her own.

He also didn't need to know whom he was serving to see that the normally strong-willed, manipulative, maleficent woman was feeling very much like the neglected stepchild.

It was almost pathetic.

"If you're going to complain, why don't you bother Roman? I still have an organization to run."

Taking a brisk walk rather than a run to out of the room, it would do no good to show weakness no matter how distracted Cinder was with her fuming. Adam really did have places to be, things to do to keep the White Fang from tearing itself apart while Jin played his people like an amateur game of checkers.

"You wouldn't happen to know where he's hiding, would you?"

Adam stopped dead, suddenly wondering what was hiding in the shadows of the room. Where were Cinder's two stooges? They would be the last to leave her side…. But he was fairly certain he hadn't been followed.

"Roman, I mean," She searched for the slippery criminal in the row of lockers Adam had just left, as if she could see through metal as easily as she could burn through it. "He seems to be quite busy these days as well. I figure you two might have something… in common."

"As if," Not needing to feign his disdain for the criminal who had as many faces as he had coins in his pocket at any given time, Adam still didn't fully turn to face Cinder lest she see his motives like lipstick on his collar. "You realize that I'd rather die than willingly associate with that man?"

"Oh, I'm sure." The woman who would normally get her way with a threatening fleer of her flames was instead disconcertingly calm, arms tucked upon one another, seeking comfort. "The problem is that people aren't very good at imagining things _worse _than death. You should understand, just look at your 'people'. The only reason they are so emboldened is because they don't think it can get worse, that they don't have anything left to lose.

"…But we both know that's not true, is it?"

"Of course," Smirk steeled by irony, Adam turned once more to the door and unhesitatingly marched towards it. "We _both _know."

This left Cinder to smolder alone with her fire which quickly burned through its fuel, and died.

* * *

She… wasn't dead.

For someone who had lived a life like Raven Branwen, this was always an important confirmation. Whether it be in a feather bed or face down on a barroom floor- more often the latter, as the hardwood of her favorite haunt was as effective as a strong pinch to reaffirm the fact that she was not still asleep- not yet in that 'Big Sleep'. The only difference being the nightmares which lasted an eternity instead of a fitful few hours.

The lush pillow of grass pressing into her cheek was mildly worrying, however. Their camp was always on bare ground, tamped solid by the constant bustle of her nomadic clanmates. That none of them had bothered in her unconsciousness to flip her over to a more comfortable position on her back was something else to consider, meaning that she was not near anyone 'friendly'.

She blinked slowly, a smile that was anything but amicable flashing through her mind along with a pain that was worse than any hangover causing her to shiver in the vulnerable night air. That hadn't been a dream.

"Well, look who's finally up and- er, awake, anyway."

She looked towards a familiar voice, even though she'd never heard it in person before. Raven was able to pick the impatient 'finally' out of that faux-friendly tone the way that bowler hat and orange hair could be instantly fingered in any lineup.

"Roman Torchwick," Bones cracked along with parched lips as her subconscious tried to get her to sit up. She failed several times before gathering her wits about her, knees underneath her chest, and was able to haul herself upright facing the crook with what her clanmates described as 'Resting Beowulf Face'.

"Oh? I guess I should be flattered that someone as infamous as-"

"-arrested several times for petty theft starting in high school for which the judge, under pressure from his parents who were bureaucrats in Vale's parliament representing a minority district, sentenced him to reformatory vocational school instead of juvie. There he was instructed and received a degree in HVAC installation which later assisted with his overall lackluster criminal career, being arrested several more times but managing to escape using the same methods with which he committed the robberies. He received both technical and financial support from the renowned information broker, Hei "Junior" Xiong. Debts to whom have been mysteriously paid off, leaving Junior with plausible deniability to any current activities of who he himself describes as a two-bit criminal."

Said 'two-bit criminal's' eye twitched as Raven coughed roughly, hacking up and spitting on his entire career. However, while he fully accepted the fact that he wasn't 'major league', Roman would not fall into the trap of being called 'petty' and settled on his relative high ground- a moldy tree stump.

"Though rumor has it you are currently associating with a young woman about whom little is known… other than her skill as a swordswoman," Switching over to a more casual cadence with a yawn, Raven stretched, lifting the stump of her right arm as if it were merely asleep as she had been. "I take it that she is the one responsible for this?"

For several seconds he shared her deadpan, dead silence as he reminded himself with a shake of his head that he was safe. No matter how much the notoriously violent woman wished to harm him, she was as incapable of lifting a finger against him as- well, lifting a figner…

"It's really nothing personal, Bird. But with your reputation… we really couldn't afford to take chances. Don't get me wrong, Neo's skilled, better than me in any case. But, well, you're Raven _Branwen._"

Not looking away from the truncated sleeve of her kimono, Raven nodded. If there was one thing she respected about Torchwick, it was his practicality.

Everything else was contempt; it was obvious for the few seconds she had allowed him to relax that he was easy to manipulate, giving her the name of his accomplice along with his opinion on her skill level. This also told Raven beyond a doubt that he wasn't the mastermind behind this kidnapping.

Though really, none of this was a surprise. She knew characters like Roman and their capabilities. She also knew first-hand the accomplishments of Ozpin 'the Great and Terrible' and should have seen this attempted trap coming a Kingdom away. From there, it wasn't hard to imagine an opposing group that would not want her in the headmaster's clutches, no matter the cost. And if their goal was the Spring Maiden, then they would be more likely to keep her alive as a bargaining chip.

No, the only thing which was unaccountable in all this was Raven herself. _Why _had she risked it?

"Heh. I know that look."

The glare she shot him was formidable. But with his personality, Raven wouldn't doubt that he'd been on the receiving end of such silent threats before. As such, the paltry criminal remained unphased, completing the imperturbable image with a cigar.

The ritual began with the gleam of a silvered lighter, a spark of illumination, a whiff of piquant smoke which perked up her senses at the same time it took the edge off the acute feeling of exigency. She felt herself relax, meditating on the sweet tobacco filling her lungs the way last night's bender would linger in her throat. It was much like her own indulgent binges; a little affirmation that yes, this was reality and they were both, unfortunately, alive.

As much as she hated to think that she and this man had anything in common-

"Who is it you're working for?"

From what she could tell, Roman's silence was atypical. There was something ethereal in the smoke ring he blew which haloed the broken moon as if to lasso it back together- a thought occurred: Raven hadn't been restrained, left unbound and frustratingly, unanswered. She tried again.

"What is it that they want from me? What were you hired to do?"

The smoke's shadow fell around Raven, passing over murky lines in the earth like crop circles. Eldritch markings encircled her, some kind of writing that she did not understand but recognized in its potency, the very moment she knew it was written in blood.

"… Frankly, I'd rather not know." Jerking her head as Roman stood up from his stump, Raven felt a sudden jolt of anxiety. "And now- well, I'm'a hit the road. I only needed to keep an eye on you while you were asleep so that a bear or something didn't come by and eat ya. No rest for the wicked, am I right?"

Raven didn't know why, but her heat was racing. Nothing was making sense; she wasn't restrained, no demands made, nor injury done- her arm had been perfectly healed, a rounded nub without scar nor scab as if it had happened years ago.

"As for the first… well, you'll find out soon enough."

"Wait!"

It was futile; with a suddenness her words had become muted, not extending past the edge of the runic circle the way her phantom arm failed to reach past its fleshy border.

"Stand your ground, damn you!"

Her legs were numb, her body cold- where were her Maiden's flames? Lightning fury fizzled down to an uneasy tingle. This was magic, wasn't it? The markings- she would cauterize the ground- why couldn't she move, damnit!

"Later, Bird."

With his back turned, Roman raised his right hand to wave goodbye- she was sure that gutless bastard meant it to mock her. But as much as she now wanted to disembowel him, the pit in her own stomach became that much weightier that she couldn't even stand.

"**Hello, Raven." **

It all began to click, the thumping tachycardia in her chest slowing down to a mere trot and all the anxiety that had been building up was let out in a weary sigh as she turned to face her captor.

Raven was revolted- with herself, her erratic behavior and irrational fear at what was, quite frankly, a little bit of a disappointment.

"I thought you'd be bigger."

Given what she'd heard, she thought he'd make some kind of crude remark at her expense (and in her addled state she'd given him the perfect opportunity, hadn't she?).

But no. He- it, simply stood there with either a smirk or a smile, watching her with something short of a leer-

Raven quickly looked away, remembering Ozpin's warning about those eyes, perhaps too late. She could have already been ensnared in an illusion the way she'd been dragged here against her will.

However, she didn't think this was the case. Why? Call it a feeling, like the sensation of her nails sinking deep into the sodden ground and earthworms wriggling around fingers in a wedding ring. Her guts knotted at the glimpse she'd gotten of his stare. There was a disparity between those mix-matched eyes and her expectations. Something… dare she say, human, about it? It made her sick.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw him lurch towards her into the clearing. Raven once again tried to move, to crawl back but-

What she saw next made her skin crawl.

With that first step his black flesh started to peel away. Necrotic tissue liquified, retreated like a storm tide in inky waves. As if he were wading into a pool of acid, everything that once made up her concept of the Jinchῡriki was being stripped away, meat shucked from bone- And not even that lasted; bleached white shoals were exposed and eroded, his skeletal armor crumbling.

What lay underneath was…

The ground seemed to shift under her hands as she fought a retreat, blood of the circle excited as that which shot through her veins. The runes! The magic! That was the cause of all this-

No. It was her. It had always been her (from youthful folly to the bitter foolishness of senescence- she had changed little while the rest of the world had become that much crueler). All the darkness that made up Jinchῡriki was being rejected the way she had declined the destiny that Ozpin spelled out for her. He had crossed the array's epicenter, yet a bubble around Raven seemed to hold all that evil at bay.

Was this the true power of a Maiden, to soothe the savage beast?

A chuckle burbled from the black cesspool that was once the Grimm, followed by a voice with all the qualities of a bug zapper.

"**It's nice to finally meet you," **

The Jinchῡriki was something human, once. What emerged from the tar pit was as well, a person trapped in time -young_ancient, _regal_rambunctious_, kind_cruel_-

A grin,

"**-Face to face."**

* * *

**Chapter Title- Black Friday Rule by Flogging Molly**

**The poem in the AN is by one Martin Niemöller (1892-1984).**

**I try to be apolitical. I don't know the answers to many of our world's problems, and we're all entitled to our own. **

**However, some opinions are just patently wrong, especially those that deprive others of basic human (and Faunus, if there are any among us) rights. This especially includes the freedom of speech (such as my blasphemous attempt at fiction). **

**So let's all just pay attention to history- not just what's already happened, but how what we do today will be viewed in another fifty or hundred years.**

**Assuming, that is, there is anyone left to care. **


End file.
